Season Two, Episode 1: D.O.A.
Original Air Date: October 12, 2007
A former colleague of Vicki's from the force, Paul "Dirty" Deeds hires her to find out where his body is and how he became a ghost. The problem is Vicki is the only one who can see Paul. Things take a turn for the truly unusual when Paul shows up apparently alive and the investigation leads toward a corrupt police officer. Paul's body is walking around and his ghost is still working with Vicki and the only clue they have is a fondness for raw meat.
Season Two, Episode 2: Wild Blood
Original Air Date: October 19, 2007
The animalistic murder of one of the mayors friends forces Mike to turn to Vicki for help when the woman he arrested as a suspect in the case exhibits supernatural characteristics. Vicki and Henry turn up the possibility that she is a skinwalker meaning that the woman in custody was the cat-like animal that committed the murder. The case changes when a jaguar is seen in town while the woman is in police custody. Investigation of the victim shows he had a secret of his own which led to his murder.
Season Two, Episode 3: 5:55
Original Air Date: October 26, 2007
At 5:55, Vicki awakens from a dream where she and Henry accompany a client to retrieve an expensive artifact, and a simple recovery case takes a supernatural turn that ends in death. Once awake, things from her dream start happening. Again, Vicki awakens after having gotten farther into her dream. The day keeps replaying and Vicki must prevent those she loves from dying and stop a box, Pandora's Box, from being opened and unleashing a deadly force.
Season Two, Episode 4: Bugged
Original Air Date: November 2, 2007
Vicki is hired by the owner of Careen's favorite goth club to investigate the death of one of its patrons in an alley adjacent to the club. Careen goes with Vicki on her walk into the dark side as her investigative partner. Her life is in danger when she goes undercover to help the case. Meanwhile, Henry has his own problems when someone leaves the body of a dead young woman literally at his doorstep. Surprisingly, he turns to Mike for help with news there is another vampire in the city and things are just getting started.
Season Two, Episode 5: The Devil You Know
Original Air Date: November 9, 2007
More deaths at the hands of the vampire put Henry, Mike and Vicki even more on edge than they were before. Henry knows Christina is in town. She shows up at his condo wanting his help. She informs him there is another vampire, Alexander, following her wanting to ruin her life. The deal: if he helps her, she must leave. Is Christina being honest with Henry or is she playing him yet again?
Season Two, Episode 6: Drawn and Quartered
Original Air Date: November 16, 2007
While accompanying Vicki to place a bug in a suspects office, Henry asks Vicki to accompany him to an art show he has for the following evening. She agrees, but before they can go on their first "date", Jude, the owner of the gallery goes missing. Vicki takes the case of trying to find him. Vicki and Coreen work the opening for information about Jude while Mike and Dave are called to investigate the murder of a man found posed in an empty parking lot: Jude. Autopsy shows he drowned--on paint that appeared to come from within his body. Everything goes back to a painting in the gallery that changes before someone dies and a young painter who takes a liking to Coreen.
Season Two, Episode 7: Wrapped
Original Air Date: November 23, 2007
Two thieves get more than they expect when they try to steal Incan gold from the body of an Incan mummy. One dies and the other is forced into servitude by the resurrected mummy. Henry awakens to a nightmare of the Incan mummy flooding his apartment with light, killing him. Since vampires do not dream, Henry is worried the end of his existence may be close at hand. The mummy wants Henry's soul to give him ultimate strength and eternal life. Will the choice Vicki makes to save Henry's life destroy their friendship?
Season Two, Episode 8: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Original Air Date: November 30, 2007
Vicki is summoned to prison by a confessed murder who now claims he didn't kill the victim he was accused of killing. He tells her he's psychic and confessed because he was confused. He saw the girl being killed as a vision. A voice in his head has told him the real killer has chosen a new victim, although he cannot see who she is. Looking over the case information causes Vicki to remember her time on the force as Mike's partner and to arguments between she and Mike. Henry arrives at Vicki's office questioning if she or Careen have had any dreams, hallucinations or bad feelings or of Vicki's marks have flared up. The tension between Vicki and both Henry and Mike is great but can they all put that aside to work together to find the truth about who is killing the women?
Season Two, Episode 9: We'll Meet Again
Original Air Date: January 3, 2008
Vicki is hired by a very young man who wants her to find his soul mate. He tells her they have been reincarnated for centuries and he needs to find a way to contact his love this time around. When they find her, she is already married. She later confides in Vicki that she is pregnant with her husbands child and the two women talk about the two men in both of their lives. When her client wants to "reset" he and his soul mate's lives, Vicki must stop them. Meanwhile, meets with an old friend, Augustus, to plan a move. Mike is in trouble with Crowley. Vicki is saddened when she learns Henry is thinking of leaving town.
Season Two, Episode 10: Deep Dark
Original Air Date: January 10, 2008
Careen is possessed by Astaroth when she seeks the services of Madame Andrea searching for advice regarding Vicki's romantic problems. When they find Careen, an even bigger problem arises: Astaroth has taken her heart and the exorcism they have planned will certainly kill her. Meanwhile, a young girl is abducted and Mike is on the task force to find her. A call from Vicki regarding Careen interferes with his performance on the task force. Will his involvement in Vicki's mission to save Careen end his career and, quite possibly, his life? Has time finally come for Vicki to make a choice between Henry and Mike?
For more information:
Official Show Site from myLifetime.com: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/blood-ties
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808013/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/Blood_Ties
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canada. Show all posts
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
CDN Television: Blood Ties, Season 1
Season One, Episode 1 & 2: Blood Price
Original Air Date: March 11, 2007
Ex-police detective and current private investigator Vicki Nelson witnesses an attack and murder. She tries chasing down the suspect but he vanishes. Her former partner (and close friend) Mike Celluci is the officer called in to investigate. When the girlfriend of the murder victim hires Vicki to find out what happened to him, Vicki gets more than she bargained for. A mysterious, handsome, charming and potentially dangerous man comes into her life: Henry Fitzroy, a 480 year-old vampire. Henry's knowledge of the supernatural gives Vicki an extra edge to help find who murdered her client's boyfriend.
Season One, Episode 3: Bad JuJu
Original Air Date: March 18, 2007
Minutes after Vicki is hired by a young woman from New Orleans to find her missing brother she and the girl are attacked by a voodoo-resurrected zombie that is after her client, Angelique. Vicki is determined to protect Angelique no matter what the cost and no matter how much Henry warns her of the dangers. Vicki is surprised to learn that her client isn't as innocent as she thought.
Season One, Episode 4: Gifted
Original Air Date: March 25, 2007
Vicki reads some of Henry's graphic novels to learn more about him. Vicki is hired by a woman to find her missing son-in-law, Steve, as her daughter was recently murdered and Steve needs to care for their young daughter. She's surprised to learn that Steve wants nothing to do with his daughter but even more surprised to find out why. Mike learns Henry's secret.
Season One, Episode 5: Deadly Departed
Original Air Date: April 1, 2007
Mike is still angry Vicki never told him Henry was a vampire. A series of murders, all with strange circumstances, lead Vicki and Henry to only one conclusion: they were committed by a dead man. They must find out how the murders are being committed and who is truly behind them before anyone else dies. Wanting to know more about his past, Mike begins an investigation into Henry.
Season One, Episode 6: Love Hurts
Original Air Date: April 8, 2007
Vicki is hired by a man to find out whether his wife is having an affair or not. The woman Vicki is hired to investigate turns up dead and she, Henry and Mike are drawn into a deadly, and supernatural, case of passion and jealousy. Henry is unable to use his charms on the dead woman's three best friends. When a second woman is killed, Vicki places herself in danger to stop the killer.
Season One, Episode 7: Heart of Ice
Original Air Date: April 15, 2007
The brutal murder of a homeless woman leads her friend, Annie, an old acquaintance of Vicki's from her time as a beat cop to come asking for help in solving her friends death and the deaths of three other homeless people. Her investigation leads Vicki and Henry to a deadly and horrifying killer that even Henry may be no match for. Meanwhile, Mike and Dave investigate the murder of a prostitute that has what looks like vampire bite marks on her neck. A mysterious man is seen in the crowd of onlookers which interests Mike but he's looking at Henry as the killer. When the mysterious man from the crime scene shows up at the police station, Mike ends up making a deal that could cost Henry his existence.
Season One, Episode 8: Heart of Fire
Original Air Date: April 22, 2007
Mike and Vicki must save Henry from the evil clutches of Javier Mendoza before he can kill him. An old vampire friend of Henry's, Delphine, is also being held prisoner by Mendoza. Vicki and Mike learn Mendoza was a grand inquisitor during the Spanish Inquisition specializing in encouraging confessions out of witches. Mendoza's torture has caused Henry to go near-mad. Can he remember how he felt about Vicki enough to keep from killing her and Mike?
Season One, Episode 9: Stone Cold
Original Air Date: April 29, 2007
Mike is still dealing with having been bitten by Henry. Vicki is hired to find a missing young male model. She and Henry suspect a beautiful club owner of knowing more than she's admitting. The case becomes complicated when Mike falls under the club owner's spell. Vicki must work quickly to save not only Mike but a number of other young missing men as well as Henry.
Season One, Episode 10: Necrodrome
Original Air Date: May 6, 2007
Vicki is hired by the owner of a mortuary when a body literally walks out of the mortuary and a mysterious man is caught on videotape entering just moments earlier. The investigation leads her to the Necrodrome, an arena where two men, two dead men, battle until one "kills" the other. Vicki and Henry have less than 24 hours before the next battle will be underway at the Necrodrome.
Season One, Episode 11: Post Partum
Original Air Date: May 13, 2007
Vicki, with Mike posing as her husband, goes undercover at a strange fertility clinic when a husband hires her because of concern for his wife who is there for treatments. She quickly learns there is something supernatural happening at the clinic. If she doesn't figure out who, or what, is behind all the strange goings on she might not make it out of the clinic alive. Henry and Careen learn something about the children born to the mothers of the clinic that is troubling.
Season One, Episode 12: Norman
Original Air Date: May 20, 2007
A few drops of blood landing on the floor of Norman Bridewell's old apartment brings Norman back into the realm of existence. A woman goes to Vicki claiming to be a psychic with news that she saw her, her office and something in it that wanted to hurt her. She tells her of 3 powerful objects (a stone chalice, ancient dagger and a book) that was being used to kill her. One by one, Norman works to collect the three objects working his way to Vicki.
For more information:
Official Show Site from myLifetime.com: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/blood-ties
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808013/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/Blood_Ties
Original Air Date: March 11, 2007
Ex-police detective and current private investigator Vicki Nelson witnesses an attack and murder. She tries chasing down the suspect but he vanishes. Her former partner (and close friend) Mike Celluci is the officer called in to investigate. When the girlfriend of the murder victim hires Vicki to find out what happened to him, Vicki gets more than she bargained for. A mysterious, handsome, charming and potentially dangerous man comes into her life: Henry Fitzroy, a 480 year-old vampire. Henry's knowledge of the supernatural gives Vicki an extra edge to help find who murdered her client's boyfriend.
Season One, Episode 3: Bad JuJu
Original Air Date: March 18, 2007
Minutes after Vicki is hired by a young woman from New Orleans to find her missing brother she and the girl are attacked by a voodoo-resurrected zombie that is after her client, Angelique. Vicki is determined to protect Angelique no matter what the cost and no matter how much Henry warns her of the dangers. Vicki is surprised to learn that her client isn't as innocent as she thought.
Season One, Episode 4: Gifted
Original Air Date: March 25, 2007
Vicki reads some of Henry's graphic novels to learn more about him. Vicki is hired by a woman to find her missing son-in-law, Steve, as her daughter was recently murdered and Steve needs to care for their young daughter. She's surprised to learn that Steve wants nothing to do with his daughter but even more surprised to find out why. Mike learns Henry's secret.
Season One, Episode 5: Deadly Departed
Original Air Date: April 1, 2007
Mike is still angry Vicki never told him Henry was a vampire. A series of murders, all with strange circumstances, lead Vicki and Henry to only one conclusion: they were committed by a dead man. They must find out how the murders are being committed and who is truly behind them before anyone else dies. Wanting to know more about his past, Mike begins an investigation into Henry.
Season One, Episode 6: Love Hurts
Original Air Date: April 8, 2007
Vicki is hired by a man to find out whether his wife is having an affair or not. The woman Vicki is hired to investigate turns up dead and she, Henry and Mike are drawn into a deadly, and supernatural, case of passion and jealousy. Henry is unable to use his charms on the dead woman's three best friends. When a second woman is killed, Vicki places herself in danger to stop the killer.
Season One, Episode 7: Heart of Ice
Original Air Date: April 15, 2007
The brutal murder of a homeless woman leads her friend, Annie, an old acquaintance of Vicki's from her time as a beat cop to come asking for help in solving her friends death and the deaths of three other homeless people. Her investigation leads Vicki and Henry to a deadly and horrifying killer that even Henry may be no match for. Meanwhile, Mike and Dave investigate the murder of a prostitute that has what looks like vampire bite marks on her neck. A mysterious man is seen in the crowd of onlookers which interests Mike but he's looking at Henry as the killer. When the mysterious man from the crime scene shows up at the police station, Mike ends up making a deal that could cost Henry his existence.
Season One, Episode 8: Heart of Fire
Original Air Date: April 22, 2007
Mike and Vicki must save Henry from the evil clutches of Javier Mendoza before he can kill him. An old vampire friend of Henry's, Delphine, is also being held prisoner by Mendoza. Vicki and Mike learn Mendoza was a grand inquisitor during the Spanish Inquisition specializing in encouraging confessions out of witches. Mendoza's torture has caused Henry to go near-mad. Can he remember how he felt about Vicki enough to keep from killing her and Mike?
Season One, Episode 9: Stone Cold
Original Air Date: April 29, 2007
Mike is still dealing with having been bitten by Henry. Vicki is hired to find a missing young male model. She and Henry suspect a beautiful club owner of knowing more than she's admitting. The case becomes complicated when Mike falls under the club owner's spell. Vicki must work quickly to save not only Mike but a number of other young missing men as well as Henry.
Season One, Episode 10: Necrodrome
Original Air Date: May 6, 2007
Vicki is hired by the owner of a mortuary when a body literally walks out of the mortuary and a mysterious man is caught on videotape entering just moments earlier. The investigation leads her to the Necrodrome, an arena where two men, two dead men, battle until one "kills" the other. Vicki and Henry have less than 24 hours before the next battle will be underway at the Necrodrome.
Season One, Episode 11: Post Partum
Original Air Date: May 13, 2007
Vicki, with Mike posing as her husband, goes undercover at a strange fertility clinic when a husband hires her because of concern for his wife who is there for treatments. She quickly learns there is something supernatural happening at the clinic. If she doesn't figure out who, or what, is behind all the strange goings on she might not make it out of the clinic alive. Henry and Careen learn something about the children born to the mothers of the clinic that is troubling.
Season One, Episode 12: Norman
Original Air Date: May 20, 2007
A few drops of blood landing on the floor of Norman Bridewell's old apartment brings Norman back into the realm of existence. A woman goes to Vicki claiming to be a psychic with news that she saw her, her office and something in it that wanted to hurt her. She tells her of 3 powerful objects (a stone chalice, ancient dagger and a book) that was being used to kill her. One by one, Norman works to collect the three objects working his way to Vicki.
For more information:
Official Show Site from myLifetime.com: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/blood-ties
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808013/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/Blood_Ties
Thursday, March 24, 2011
CDN Television: Blood Ties, Introduction
Shows like The Vampire Diaries and True Blood are getting a lot of attention right now because vampires are one of the hottest things in Hollywood at the moment. Twilight cannot take the credit for that because since the very first vampire was put onto film in 1922, Hollywood has had a love affair with the supernatural creatures. Their popularity has come and gone many times but they've always been around and will return again once they fade from this burst of attention.
There have been many shows on television that have dealt with vampires in some shape, way or form. Shows such as Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot (originally made in 1979 and re-made in 2004), the UK's Being Human (re-made in Canada for US television in 2011) and Ultraviolet from the UK and Canada's Forever Knight all chose to depict vampires in either the traditional sense or in an updated, more scientific way. There have even been children's shows based around the vampire legend. Young Dracula aired for two series in the United Kingdom (and has recently been renewed for a third series) and dealt with issues many children face in a humorous and fantastical, but also realistic way.
Blood Ties was a short-lived Canadian drama of 22 hour-long episodes based on the Blood Books series by Tanya Huff. Blood Ties was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and aired first in the United States on the Lifetime Network before airing later in Canada in Citytv and Space. It ran from March 11, 2007 to January 10, 2008 with twelve episodes comprising season one and ten season two. The show, set in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, starred Christina Cox, Dylan Neal, Kyle Schmid and Gina Holden.
The series follows Vicki Nelson (Cox), a former Toronto police detective who left the job because of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive vision problem that will eventually lead to blindness. She opens a private investigation office so she can continue doing the work she loves. She meets and develops a working relationship with a 480 year-old vampire, Henry Fitzroy (Schmid) who helps her deal with the supernatural aspects of the cases she takes. Her old partner from the force, Mike Celluci (Neal) provides her with a link to her old life and tension in her new life because of his jealousy and dislike of her new partner, Henry. Her secretary, Coreen Fennel (Holden), is a former client with an interest in the occult who provides insight and research assistance into some of the strange supernatural aspects of the cases.
The first episode starts off a tad slow but once you are introduced to all the characters and the action picks up and takes off, it really takes off. I, personally, would say this show is a bit like Supernatural meets the Rockford Files. You've got a great private investigator story working but it's not the normal kind of cases you'd expect a P.I. to work on. Every single one of Vicki's cases have a supernatural aspect to them. Everything from demons to Medusa to voodoo to mummies to Wendigo's. Jim Rockford never encountered anything like that in a days work!
Vicki Nelson is super tough. She takes nothing from no one and does things on her own terms despite objections from those close to her and her physical limitations. She is reluctant to believe in vampires and the supernatural at first. She becomes quite comfortable with everything very quickly once she sees those 'unbelievable' things with her own eyes (as well as she can see them, anyway) and experiences them firsthand. Christina Cox does a brilliant job making this character very believable and she most certainly makes Nelson a strong female lead. Something that is often much-needed on television.
Henry Fitzroy is an interesting vampire. He doesn't kill but he's not the kind of vampire that has weened himself off human blood. You won't see him raiding any blood banks or preying on Bambi and Thumper in the woods. He feeds from willing subjects and never to the point of killing unless the subject wants to turn and he feels turning them would be appropriate. (One of Vicki's cases involves an old love of Henry's that he turned.) He's a charming, handsome, soft-spoken guy with a dry sense of humor who just happens to be the illegitimate son of Henry VIII (Fitzroy is Henry, Duke of Richmond) and works in the modern day as a graphic artist. In his 480 years he's known every aspect of life from poverty to extreme privilege. Henry has a severe dislike for magic because, having been around for almost five centuries, he knows the dangers and costs that go along with it. Henry's vampirism is traditional (he sleeps during the day, must have blood to survive, cannot be out in daylight and has many supernatural vampiric powers) but there are also a few nontraditional aspects to him. Crosses and holy water do not harm him, he doesn't sleep in a coffin filled with the soil of his birthplace and he isn't a savage killing machine that exists only to claim as many lives as possible and get as much blood as he can.
All of the characters are very likable in this series. Even when Mike and Henry are at odds over their relationships with Vicki and fighting like two little boys, you still like them both. Mike and Henry can actually work together for the greater good without letting their dislike for one another get in the way so their antagonism for one another isn't always being thrown in the viewers faces. No one is whiny or lingers on the "this stuff can't be real!" lines for too long. They might complain a bit, then see something that changes their mind and they move on. The shows are sprinkled with just enough humor to lighten the mood where necessary but not to make the show an outright comedy. The atmosphere is dark and mysterious which adds to the theme and look of the show and there aren't any silly aspects like sparkling vampires thrown in.
I think it is important to say you needn't be a vampire fan to enjoy Blood Ties. Yes, one of the main characters is a vampire but the show isn't exclusively based around Henry and his lifestyle. There's a wide variety of supernatural aspects to this short-lived series. If you're someone who enjoys a good mystery that delves into the more unusual side of things, I'm positive you can find at least one episode of Blood Ties that is right up your alley. It would have been wonderful had this series lasted longer than 22 episodes. The writing was strong, the acting excellent and the stories engaging. Had it aired a few years later when the vampire craze had fully taken hold it might still be on the air as it had, and still has, a loyal fan base.
There have been rumors that there is a sequel of sorts to Blood Ties being planned. In April of 2010, it was announced that Fremantle Corporation and Kaleidoscope Entertainment were developing a new series titled Smoke & Mirrors based on Tanya Huff's Smoke series. (Kaleidoscope made Blood Ties). It's rumored that Fremantle and Kaleidoscope are shopping around for support of the series which will be about Henry Fitzroy and the supernatural adventures he experiences on a fictional TV series shoot. As this is all still very new and nothing is set in stone, there is no news as to who might play Henry. Personally, if this does come to fruition (and being a huge fan of Blood Ties I most certainly hope it does), I wouldn't mind seeing Kyle Schmid on the small screen again. If the writing and acting quality, and the same dark atmosphere that made Blood Ties so great are all in place for Smoke & Mirrors, I can only imagine that will be one series I'll definitely have to check out!
The entire series of Blood Ties is available on DVD and Blu-Ray in either the complete first season and complete second season or as the entire series.
Complete Series, DVD
Complete Series, Blu-Ray
Complete Series One, DVD
Complete Series Two, DVD
For more information:
Official Show Site from myLifetime.com: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/blood-ties
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808013/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/Blood_Ties
There have been many shows on television that have dealt with vampires in some shape, way or form. Shows such as Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot (originally made in 1979 and re-made in 2004), the UK's Being Human (re-made in Canada for US television in 2011) and Ultraviolet from the UK and Canada's Forever Knight all chose to depict vampires in either the traditional sense or in an updated, more scientific way. There have even been children's shows based around the vampire legend. Young Dracula aired for two series in the United Kingdom (and has recently been renewed for a third series) and dealt with issues many children face in a humorous and fantastical, but also realistic way.
Blood Ties was a short-lived Canadian drama of 22 hour-long episodes based on the Blood Books series by Tanya Huff. Blood Ties was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and aired first in the United States on the Lifetime Network before airing later in Canada in Citytv and Space. It ran from March 11, 2007 to January 10, 2008 with twelve episodes comprising season one and ten season two. The show, set in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, starred Christina Cox, Dylan Neal, Kyle Schmid and Gina Holden.
The series follows Vicki Nelson (Cox), a former Toronto police detective who left the job because of Retinitis Pigmentosa, a progressive vision problem that will eventually lead to blindness. She opens a private investigation office so she can continue doing the work she loves. She meets and develops a working relationship with a 480 year-old vampire, Henry Fitzroy (Schmid) who helps her deal with the supernatural aspects of the cases she takes. Her old partner from the force, Mike Celluci (Neal) provides her with a link to her old life and tension in her new life because of his jealousy and dislike of her new partner, Henry. Her secretary, Coreen Fennel (Holden), is a former client with an interest in the occult who provides insight and research assistance into some of the strange supernatural aspects of the cases.
The first episode starts off a tad slow but once you are introduced to all the characters and the action picks up and takes off, it really takes off. I, personally, would say this show is a bit like Supernatural meets the Rockford Files. You've got a great private investigator story working but it's not the normal kind of cases you'd expect a P.I. to work on. Every single one of Vicki's cases have a supernatural aspect to them. Everything from demons to Medusa to voodoo to mummies to Wendigo's. Jim Rockford never encountered anything like that in a days work!
Vicki Nelson is super tough. She takes nothing from no one and does things on her own terms despite objections from those close to her and her physical limitations. She is reluctant to believe in vampires and the supernatural at first. She becomes quite comfortable with everything very quickly once she sees those 'unbelievable' things with her own eyes (as well as she can see them, anyway) and experiences them firsthand. Christina Cox does a brilliant job making this character very believable and she most certainly makes Nelson a strong female lead. Something that is often much-needed on television.
Henry Fitzroy is an interesting vampire. He doesn't kill but he's not the kind of vampire that has weened himself off human blood. You won't see him raiding any blood banks or preying on Bambi and Thumper in the woods. He feeds from willing subjects and never to the point of killing unless the subject wants to turn and he feels turning them would be appropriate. (One of Vicki's cases involves an old love of Henry's that he turned.) He's a charming, handsome, soft-spoken guy with a dry sense of humor who just happens to be the illegitimate son of Henry VIII (Fitzroy is Henry, Duke of Richmond) and works in the modern day as a graphic artist. In his 480 years he's known every aspect of life from poverty to extreme privilege. Henry has a severe dislike for magic because, having been around for almost five centuries, he knows the dangers and costs that go along with it. Henry's vampirism is traditional (he sleeps during the day, must have blood to survive, cannot be out in daylight and has many supernatural vampiric powers) but there are also a few nontraditional aspects to him. Crosses and holy water do not harm him, he doesn't sleep in a coffin filled with the soil of his birthplace and he isn't a savage killing machine that exists only to claim as many lives as possible and get as much blood as he can.
All of the characters are very likable in this series. Even when Mike and Henry are at odds over their relationships with Vicki and fighting like two little boys, you still like them both. Mike and Henry can actually work together for the greater good without letting their dislike for one another get in the way so their antagonism for one another isn't always being thrown in the viewers faces. No one is whiny or lingers on the "this stuff can't be real!" lines for too long. They might complain a bit, then see something that changes their mind and they move on. The shows are sprinkled with just enough humor to lighten the mood where necessary but not to make the show an outright comedy. The atmosphere is dark and mysterious which adds to the theme and look of the show and there aren't any silly aspects like sparkling vampires thrown in.
I think it is important to say you needn't be a vampire fan to enjoy Blood Ties. Yes, one of the main characters is a vampire but the show isn't exclusively based around Henry and his lifestyle. There's a wide variety of supernatural aspects to this short-lived series. If you're someone who enjoys a good mystery that delves into the more unusual side of things, I'm positive you can find at least one episode of Blood Ties that is right up your alley. It would have been wonderful had this series lasted longer than 22 episodes. The writing was strong, the acting excellent and the stories engaging. Had it aired a few years later when the vampire craze had fully taken hold it might still be on the air as it had, and still has, a loyal fan base.
There have been rumors that there is a sequel of sorts to Blood Ties being planned. In April of 2010, it was announced that Fremantle Corporation and Kaleidoscope Entertainment were developing a new series titled Smoke & Mirrors based on Tanya Huff's Smoke series. (Kaleidoscope made Blood Ties). It's rumored that Fremantle and Kaleidoscope are shopping around for support of the series which will be about Henry Fitzroy and the supernatural adventures he experiences on a fictional TV series shoot. As this is all still very new and nothing is set in stone, there is no news as to who might play Henry. Personally, if this does come to fruition (and being a huge fan of Blood Ties I most certainly hope it does), I wouldn't mind seeing Kyle Schmid on the small screen again. If the writing and acting quality, and the same dark atmosphere that made Blood Ties so great are all in place for Smoke & Mirrors, I can only imagine that will be one series I'll definitely have to check out!
The entire series of Blood Ties is available on DVD and Blu-Ray in either the complete first season and complete second season or as the entire series.
Complete Series, DVD
Complete Series, Blu-Ray
Complete Series One, DVD
Complete Series Two, DVD
For more information:
Official Show Site from myLifetime.com: http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/blood-ties
The Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0808013/
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/Blood_Ties
Monday, January 31, 2011
Eastern Newfoundland's Newest Celebrity: A Pacific Coast Hummingbird
When you think of an island paradise Newfoundland, Canada might not be the first place that comes to mind, right? I would say "island paradise" are two words that most certainly can be used to describe Newfoundland. From the picturesque landscapes and breathtaking ocean views to the colorful charm of the capitol city, St. John's (which also just happens to be the oldest city in North America), Newfoundland has a beauty and charm a lot of other places cannot claim.
In August of 2010, the island got one more extremely rare thing to add to the already long list of attractions and beauty it's known for: a tiny hummingbird native to the Pacific Coast. Yes, you read that correctly. A hummingbird in Newfoundland, Canada. Eastern Newfoundland, to be exact.
In the summer of 2010, sisters Violet Power and Betty Marsh of Brownsdale, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland put out a hummingbird feeder with hopes of seeing one of the tiny, and fast-flying birds. Seeing a hummingbird in Newfoundland is extremely rare so one can only imagine their surprise when they caught sight of the little bird stopping at their feeder for a drink of sugar water.
Violet Power emailed Bruce Mactavish, an environmental consultant and expert birdwatcher from St. John's, NL with photographs of the new visitor. Mactavish was amazed at what the photographs contained. Sure enough, at the feeder was a true rarity. The little bird in the photographs was an Anna's hummingbird, a species native to the Pacific Coast of North America, an area over 4,000 miles away.
Mactavish and four birding friends, all with more than a century of birding experience between them, drove to Brownsdale in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare bird. Five minutes after finding the Power home the five birding friends were treated to an exciting and rare sight indeed. The little bird flew first to a bush then to the hummingbird feeder for a drink. The bird, named Bruce after Bruce Mactavish, has fed from the feeder every single day since it arrived in late August. Due to the color development on the bird, Mactavish identified it as an immature male.
The fact Bruce (the bird) somehow managed to make the 4,000 plus mile journey to eastern Newfoundland isn't the only amazing part of this story. What is even more amazing is that Bruce (the bird) is still alive and well despite the harsh winter weather for which Newfoundland is so well known. Newfoundland winters can be very cold and severe and see a lot of snow. However, December was the most mild for Newfoundland in more than 100 years. How Bruce (the bird) survives during the cold nights remains a mystery but Mactavish credits the relatively mild temperatures and well-maintained feeder for Bruce's survival. Mactavish makes no promises that the hummingbird can survive through the entire winter, but he and everyone who has seen or knows about the bird are all cheering for his survival.
Little Bruce has gathered quite a following among the residents of his newly adopted home. Birders from all over Newfoundland have come to see the hummingbird to share in the amazement of his having arrived there in the first place and secondly his miraculous survival.
I find this to be a truly remarkable story in every way. I am first amazed at how Bruce the Hummingbird managed to make it all the way from the Pacific Coast to eastern Newfoundland. That's a lot of flying for such a little bird and I can only imagine how long the journey took. I am perhaps most in awe of how he has been able to survive in an area completely foreign to him. He's alone and dealing with temperatures he isn't used to, but he's doing an amazing job of surviving thus far. I most sincerely commend Violet Power and Betty Marsh for their dedication in making sure Bruce has all the sugar water he needs to keep him strong and healthy.
If you would like to see Bruce the Hummingbird (and I know you want to), watch the video from CBC news. Not only do I love seeing the bird, but I love that Bruce Mactavish actually stopped his interview when the bird arrived to drink. His enthusiasm is awesome!
In August of 2010, the island got one more extremely rare thing to add to the already long list of attractions and beauty it's known for: a tiny hummingbird native to the Pacific Coast. Yes, you read that correctly. A hummingbird in Newfoundland, Canada. Eastern Newfoundland, to be exact.
In the summer of 2010, sisters Violet Power and Betty Marsh of Brownsdale, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland put out a hummingbird feeder with hopes of seeing one of the tiny, and fast-flying birds. Seeing a hummingbird in Newfoundland is extremely rare so one can only imagine their surprise when they caught sight of the little bird stopping at their feeder for a drink of sugar water.
Violet Power emailed Bruce Mactavish, an environmental consultant and expert birdwatcher from St. John's, NL with photographs of the new visitor. Mactavish was amazed at what the photographs contained. Sure enough, at the feeder was a true rarity. The little bird in the photographs was an Anna's hummingbird, a species native to the Pacific Coast of North America, an area over 4,000 miles away.
Mactavish and four birding friends, all with more than a century of birding experience between them, drove to Brownsdale in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare bird. Five minutes after finding the Power home the five birding friends were treated to an exciting and rare sight indeed. The little bird flew first to a bush then to the hummingbird feeder for a drink. The bird, named Bruce after Bruce Mactavish, has fed from the feeder every single day since it arrived in late August. Due to the color development on the bird, Mactavish identified it as an immature male.
The fact Bruce (the bird) somehow managed to make the 4,000 plus mile journey to eastern Newfoundland isn't the only amazing part of this story. What is even more amazing is that Bruce (the bird) is still alive and well despite the harsh winter weather for which Newfoundland is so well known. Newfoundland winters can be very cold and severe and see a lot of snow. However, December was the most mild for Newfoundland in more than 100 years. How Bruce (the bird) survives during the cold nights remains a mystery but Mactavish credits the relatively mild temperatures and well-maintained feeder for Bruce's survival. Mactavish makes no promises that the hummingbird can survive through the entire winter, but he and everyone who has seen or knows about the bird are all cheering for his survival.
Little Bruce has gathered quite a following among the residents of his newly adopted home. Birders from all over Newfoundland have come to see the hummingbird to share in the amazement of his having arrived there in the first place and secondly his miraculous survival.
I find this to be a truly remarkable story in every way. I am first amazed at how Bruce the Hummingbird managed to make it all the way from the Pacific Coast to eastern Newfoundland. That's a lot of flying for such a little bird and I can only imagine how long the journey took. I am perhaps most in awe of how he has been able to survive in an area completely foreign to him. He's alone and dealing with temperatures he isn't used to, but he's doing an amazing job of surviving thus far. I most sincerely commend Violet Power and Betty Marsh for their dedication in making sure Bruce has all the sugar water he needs to keep him strong and healthy.
If you would like to see Bruce the Hummingbird (and I know you want to), watch the video from CBC news. Not only do I love seeing the bird, but I love that Bruce Mactavish actually stopped his interview when the bird arrived to drink. His enthusiasm is awesome!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
10-Year-Old Girl Discovers Supernova
10-year-old Kathryn Aurora Gray of Fredericton, New Brunswick has become the youngest person ever to discover a supernova. Miss Gray discovered the supernova on January 2, 2011.
Supernova 2010lt is a magnitude-17 in galaxy UGC 3378, in the constellation of Camelopardalis. It is about 240 million light years away from earth. Katheryn Gray discovered the supernova from Abbey Ridge Observatory under the watchful eyes of her father, astronomer Paul Gray, and astronomer David Lane. Supernova 2010lt is Paul Gray's seventh supernova discovery and David Lane's fourth.
Supernovas are stellar explosions that signal the violent deaths of stars several times larger than the sun. They can be used to estimate the size and age of the universe. Supernovas are rare. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory found evidence of one which took place around 140 years ago in our galaxy. Before that, the last known supernova in the Milky Way occurred around 1680.
Congratulations, Kathryn! This might just be the start of a long and illustrious career in astronomy for young Miss Gray!
For more information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12110747
http://www.davelane.ca/aro/sn/sn2010lt.html
Supernova 2010lt is a magnitude-17 in galaxy UGC 3378, in the constellation of Camelopardalis. It is about 240 million light years away from earth. Katheryn Gray discovered the supernova from Abbey Ridge Observatory under the watchful eyes of her father, astronomer Paul Gray, and astronomer David Lane. Supernova 2010lt is Paul Gray's seventh supernova discovery and David Lane's fourth.
Supernovas are stellar explosions that signal the violent deaths of stars several times larger than the sun. They can be used to estimate the size and age of the universe. Supernovas are rare. The Chandra X-Ray Observatory found evidence of one which took place around 140 years ago in our galaxy. Before that, the last known supernova in the Milky Way occurred around 1680.
Congratulations, Kathryn! This might just be the start of a long and illustrious career in astronomy for young Miss Gray!
For more information:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12110747
http://www.davelane.ca/aro/sn/sn2010lt.html
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Titanic Expedition Begins and Ends After Capturing Remarkable Images
Few names spark the imagery that "Titanic" can. The name conjures images of romance, luxury, opulence, tragedy and death. When the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage from England to New York City ninety-eight years ago in 1912, more than 1,500 souls perished in the icy waters of the Atlantic. Seventy-three years later, some 370 miles (600 km) south-east of Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, Dr. Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Jean-Louis Michel of Ifremer discovered the wreckage of the Titanic 2 1/2 miles (4 km) beneath the Atlantic's surface.
The ship has always been at the center of interest for researchers. Before Ballard and Michel discovered the ship, many wanted to do just that. Some even wanted to raise it. There have been several visits to the site with submersibles being dispatched to collect artifacts, video or photographs.
Ninety-eight years later, yet another expedition to the Titanic site has come and gone. Plagued by both Hurricanes Danielle and Igor, the research expedition was conducted in two parts. The first ended in August of 2010 when Hurricane Danielle forced the expedition to return to port in St. John's, Newfoundland. The goal of the expedition is to document little-known areas of the wreckage before it completely disintegrates. Their focus is the stern of the ship. It hasn't been studied since the Titanic was discovered in 1985. Once all danger of Danielle had passed, the expedition on the research vessel Jean Charcot returned into the cold Atlantic waters to continue their work.
Expedition Titanic used two autonomous underwater vehicles, Ginger and Mary Ann (named for the two ladies from the American comedy Gilligan's Island) and a remotely operated vehicle loaded with cameras. The team were successful in capturing both stunningly clear and eerie photographs and video of some of the areas of the ship that have become legendary in the past nine decades.
The work of the researchers aboard Jean Charcot was interrupted by Mother Nature a second time, however. News of the impending approach of Hurricane Igor forced the team to head back to land. They arrived at port in St. John's, Newfoundland on Friday, September 17, 2010.
Even though Igor forced the team to turn back ahead of schedule, their research journey was a success. The researchers brought home a bounty of photographs and video documenting the fast-decaying wreckage of one of the most famous ships in history. Areas such as the bow, first-class promenade deck and the area where the ship smashed into the iceberg that sealed its fate were among the images collected by the crew. A crystal-clear picture of what happened on that fateful night in 1912 is being painted by the new images that allow us to see in stark, high-definition clarity how severe the damage to the ship really was. Using the mountain of video and photographic data collected, the researchers hope to be able to answer some of the long-asked questions surrounding the Titanic.
Many scientists, including Dr. Ballard have raised concerns that visits to the ship are doing more harm than good and quickening the decay of the ship. Visitor damage has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate that "the hull and structure of the ship may collapse to the ocean floor within the next 50 years." P.H. Nargeolet, expedition co-leader and director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, INC., has stated that "In a few years, all the deck will collapse. That's for sure. There's no question about that. The hull itself will be here for a long time."
Despite warnings that visitor interference is hastening the decay of the ship, Deep Ocean Expeditions is offering a 2011 "RMS Titanic Dive" that will set you back $40,000 (US Dollars) for a visit to the ship in a Russian submersible or a mere $5,000 if you don't want to go underwater but just stay aboard the ship. Bill Willard and Azamara Club Cruises will also be offering two 100th anniversary cruises. Currently, they include a topside memorial service and might offer virtual visits to the underwater site via remotely operated vehicles.
Now, this is strictly my opinion, but even if every single individual who pays the $40,000 to dive with Deep Ocean Expeditions or pays for the possible underwater virtual visit with the 2011 planned 100th anniversary cruise has a scientific goal in mind, does the Titanic really need such an intrusion right now? As rapidly as parts of the ship are decaying, only wholly serious scientific expeditions such as those performed earlier this month by the Jean Charcot crew should be allowed to invade the wreckage site, in my opinion. Every time the ship is disturbed a little more of it is lost. Is profit on a cruise really worth that?
For more information:
Article Sources:
Cosmic Log: Titanic Quest Turns to New Territory
Cosmic Log: Expedition Bids Farewell to Titanic (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: Underwater Frontiers Still Beckon (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: How the Titanic Tore Apart (Page contains expedition video and photographs)
NBC News Reports of the Expeditions (contains video)
Expedition Titanic Video and Photograph Sources:
Expedition Titanic Web Site (click on the red "navigation" button on the left of the screen to navigate the site; "The Feed" contains video footage from the site)
RMS Titanic, INC. Facebook Page (houses a collection of photographs, you do not need an account to access this page)
Expedition Blog, Waitt Institute
Expedition Titanic YouTube Channel
RMS Titanic, INC Twitter Page
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Titanic News Page
David Gallo (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) Twitter Page
Specific Photos/Videos:
Officers Cabins
First-Class Promenade Deck
Expedition Titanic Target Planning Meeting
Titanic's "Jutting Bow"
The ship has always been at the center of interest for researchers. Before Ballard and Michel discovered the ship, many wanted to do just that. Some even wanted to raise it. There have been several visits to the site with submersibles being dispatched to collect artifacts, video or photographs.
Ninety-eight years later, yet another expedition to the Titanic site has come and gone. Plagued by both Hurricanes Danielle and Igor, the research expedition was conducted in two parts. The first ended in August of 2010 when Hurricane Danielle forced the expedition to return to port in St. John's, Newfoundland. The goal of the expedition is to document little-known areas of the wreckage before it completely disintegrates. Their focus is the stern of the ship. It hasn't been studied since the Titanic was discovered in 1985. Once all danger of Danielle had passed, the expedition on the research vessel Jean Charcot returned into the cold Atlantic waters to continue their work.
Expedition Titanic used two autonomous underwater vehicles, Ginger and Mary Ann (named for the two ladies from the American comedy Gilligan's Island) and a remotely operated vehicle loaded with cameras. The team were successful in capturing both stunningly clear and eerie photographs and video of some of the areas of the ship that have become legendary in the past nine decades.
The work of the researchers aboard Jean Charcot was interrupted by Mother Nature a second time, however. News of the impending approach of Hurricane Igor forced the team to head back to land. They arrived at port in St. John's, Newfoundland on Friday, September 17, 2010.
Even though Igor forced the team to turn back ahead of schedule, their research journey was a success. The researchers brought home a bounty of photographs and video documenting the fast-decaying wreckage of one of the most famous ships in history. Areas such as the bow, first-class promenade deck and the area where the ship smashed into the iceberg that sealed its fate were among the images collected by the crew. A crystal-clear picture of what happened on that fateful night in 1912 is being painted by the new images that allow us to see in stark, high-definition clarity how severe the damage to the ship really was. Using the mountain of video and photographic data collected, the researchers hope to be able to answer some of the long-asked questions surrounding the Titanic.
Many scientists, including Dr. Ballard have raised concerns that visits to the ship are doing more harm than good and quickening the decay of the ship. Visitor damage has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate that "the hull and structure of the ship may collapse to the ocean floor within the next 50 years." P.H. Nargeolet, expedition co-leader and director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, INC., has stated that "In a few years, all the deck will collapse. That's for sure. There's no question about that. The hull itself will be here for a long time."
Despite warnings that visitor interference is hastening the decay of the ship, Deep Ocean Expeditions is offering a 2011 "RMS Titanic Dive" that will set you back $40,000 (US Dollars) for a visit to the ship in a Russian submersible or a mere $5,000 if you don't want to go underwater but just stay aboard the ship. Bill Willard and Azamara Club Cruises will also be offering two 100th anniversary cruises. Currently, they include a topside memorial service and might offer virtual visits to the underwater site via remotely operated vehicles.
Now, this is strictly my opinion, but even if every single individual who pays the $40,000 to dive with Deep Ocean Expeditions or pays for the possible underwater virtual visit with the 2011 planned 100th anniversary cruise has a scientific goal in mind, does the Titanic really need such an intrusion right now? As rapidly as parts of the ship are decaying, only wholly serious scientific expeditions such as those performed earlier this month by the Jean Charcot crew should be allowed to invade the wreckage site, in my opinion. Every time the ship is disturbed a little more of it is lost. Is profit on a cruise really worth that?
For more information:
Article Sources:
Cosmic Log: Titanic Quest Turns to New Territory
Cosmic Log: Expedition Bids Farewell to Titanic (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: Underwater Frontiers Still Beckon (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: How the Titanic Tore Apart (Page contains expedition video and photographs)
NBC News Reports of the Expeditions (contains video)
Expedition Titanic Video and Photograph Sources:
Expedition Titanic Web Site (click on the red "navigation" button on the left of the screen to navigate the site; "The Feed" contains video footage from the site)
RMS Titanic, INC. Facebook Page (houses a collection of photographs, you do not need an account to access this page)
Expedition Blog, Waitt Institute
Expedition Titanic YouTube Channel
RMS Titanic, INC Twitter Page
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Titanic News Page
David Gallo (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) Twitter Page
Specific Photos/Videos:
Officers Cabins
First-Class Promenade Deck
Expedition Titanic Target Planning Meeting
Titanic's "Jutting Bow"
Titanic Expedition Begins and Ends After Capturing Remarkable Images
Few names spark the imagery that "Titanic" can. The name conjures images of romance, luxury, opulence, tragedy and death. When the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank on her maiden voyage from England to New York City ninety-eight years ago in 1912, more than 1,500 souls perished in the icy waters of the Atlantic. Seventy-three years later, some 370 miles (600 km) south-east of Mistaken Point, Newfoundland, Dr. Robert Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and Jean-Louis Michel of Ifremer discovered the wreckage of the Titanic 2 1/2 miles (4 km) beneath the Atlantic's surface.
The ship has always been at the center of interest for researchers. Before Ballard and Michel discovered the ship, many wanted to do just that. Some even wanted to raise it. There have been several visits to the site with submersibles being dispatched to collect artifacts, video or photographs.
Ninety-eight years later, yet another expedition to the Titanic site has come and gone. Plagued by both Hurricanes Danielle and Igor, the research expedition was conducted in two parts. The first ended in August of 2010 when Hurricane Danielle forced the expedition to return to port in St. John's, Newfoundland. The goal of the expedition is to document little-known areas of the wreckage before it completely disintegrates. Their focus is the stern of the ship. It hasn't been studied since the Titanic was discovered in 1985. Once all danger of Danielle had passed, the expedition on the research vessel Jean Charcot returned into the cold Atlantic waters to continue their work.
Expedition Titanic used two autonomous underwater vehicles, Ginger and Mary Ann (named for the two ladies from the American comedy Gilligan's Island) and a remotely operated vehicle loaded with cameras. The team were successful in capturing both stunningly clear and eerie photographs and video of some of the areas of the ship that have become legendary in the past nine decades.
The work of the researchers aboard Jean Charcot was interrupted by Mother Nature a second time, however. News of the impending approach of Hurricane Igor forced the team to head back to land. They arrived at port in St. John's, Newfoundland on Friday, September 17, 2010.
Even though Igor forced the team to turn back ahead of schedule, their research journey was a success. The researchers brought home a bounty of photographs and video documenting the fast-decaying wreckage of one of the most famous ships in history. Areas such as the bow, first-class promenade deck and the area where the ship smashed into the iceberg that sealed its fate were among the images collected by the crew. A crystal-clear picture of what happened on that fateful night in 1912 is being painted by the new images that allow us to see in stark, high-definition clarity how severe the damage to the ship really was. Using the mountain of video and photographic data collected, the researchers hope to be able to answer some of the long-asked questions surrounding the Titanic.
Many scientists, including Dr. Ballard have raised concerns that visits to the ship are doing more harm than good and quickening the decay of the ship. Visitor damage has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate that "the hull and structure of the ship may collapse to the ocean floor within the next 50 years." P.H. Nargeolet, expedition co-leader and director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, INC., has stated that "In a few years, all the deck will collapse. That's for sure. There's no question about that. The hull itself will be here for a long time."
Despite warnings that visitor interference is hastening the decay of the ship, Deep Ocean Expeditions is offering a 2011 "RMS Titanic Dive" that will set you back $40,000 (US Dollars) for a visit to the ship in a Russian submersible or a mere $5,000 if you don't want to go underwater but just stay aboard the ship. Bill Willard and Azamara Club Cruises will also be offering two 100th anniversary cruises. Currently, they include a topside memorial service and might offer virtual visits to the underwater site via remotely operated vehicles.
Now, this is strictly my opinion, but even if every single individual who pays the $40,000 to dive with Deep Ocean Expeditions or pays for the possible underwater virtual visit with the 2011 planned 100th anniversary cruise has a scientific goal in mind, does the Titanic really need such an intrusion right now? As rapidly as parts of the ship are decaying, only wholly serious scientific expeditions such as those performed earlier this month by the Jean Charcot crew should be allowed to invade the wreckage site, in my opinion. Every time the ship is disturbed a little more of it is lost. Is profit on a cruise really worth that?
For more information:
Article Sources:
Cosmic Log: Titanic Quest Turns to New Territory
Cosmic Log: Expedition Bids Farewell to Titanic (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: Underwater Frontiers Still Beckon (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: How the Titanic Tore Apart (Page contains expedition video and photographs)
NBC News Reports of the Expeditions (contains video)
Expedition Titanic Video and Photograph Sources:
Expedition Titanic Web Site (click on the red "navigation" button on the left of the screen to navigate the site; "The Feed" contains video footage from the site)
RMS Titanic, INC. Facebook Page (houses a collection of photographs, you do not need an account to access this page)
Expedition Blog, Waitt Institute
Expedition Titanic YouTube Channel
RMS Titanic, INC Twitter Page
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Titanic News Page
David Gallo (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) Twitter Page
Specific Photos/Videos:
Officers Cabins
First-Class Promenade Deck
Expedition Titanic Target Planning Meeting
Titanic's "Jutting Bow"
The ship has always been at the center of interest for researchers. Before Ballard and Michel discovered the ship, many wanted to do just that. Some even wanted to raise it. There have been several visits to the site with submersibles being dispatched to collect artifacts, video or photographs.
Ninety-eight years later, yet another expedition to the Titanic site has come and gone. Plagued by both Hurricanes Danielle and Igor, the research expedition was conducted in two parts. The first ended in August of 2010 when Hurricane Danielle forced the expedition to return to port in St. John's, Newfoundland. The goal of the expedition is to document little-known areas of the wreckage before it completely disintegrates. Their focus is the stern of the ship. It hasn't been studied since the Titanic was discovered in 1985. Once all danger of Danielle had passed, the expedition on the research vessel Jean Charcot returned into the cold Atlantic waters to continue their work.
Expedition Titanic used two autonomous underwater vehicles, Ginger and Mary Ann (named for the two ladies from the American comedy Gilligan's Island) and a remotely operated vehicle loaded with cameras. The team were successful in capturing both stunningly clear and eerie photographs and video of some of the areas of the ship that have become legendary in the past nine decades.
The work of the researchers aboard Jean Charcot was interrupted by Mother Nature a second time, however. News of the impending approach of Hurricane Igor forced the team to head back to land. They arrived at port in St. John's, Newfoundland on Friday, September 17, 2010.
Even though Igor forced the team to turn back ahead of schedule, their research journey was a success. The researchers brought home a bounty of photographs and video documenting the fast-decaying wreckage of one of the most famous ships in history. Areas such as the bow, first-class promenade deck and the area where the ship smashed into the iceberg that sealed its fate were among the images collected by the crew. A crystal-clear picture of what happened on that fateful night in 1912 is being painted by the new images that allow us to see in stark, high-definition clarity how severe the damage to the ship really was. Using the mountain of video and photographic data collected, the researchers hope to be able to answer some of the long-asked questions surrounding the Titanic.
Many scientists, including Dr. Ballard have raised concerns that visits to the ship are doing more harm than good and quickening the decay of the ship. Visitor damage has led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to estimate that "the hull and structure of the ship may collapse to the ocean floor within the next 50 years." P.H. Nargeolet, expedition co-leader and director of underwater research for RMS Titanic, INC., has stated that "In a few years, all the deck will collapse. That's for sure. There's no question about that. The hull itself will be here for a long time."
Despite warnings that visitor interference is hastening the decay of the ship, Deep Ocean Expeditions is offering a 2011 "RMS Titanic Dive" that will set you back $40,000 (US Dollars) for a visit to the ship in a Russian submersible or a mere $5,000 if you don't want to go underwater but just stay aboard the ship. Bill Willard and Azamara Club Cruises will also be offering two 100th anniversary cruises. Currently, they include a topside memorial service and might offer virtual visits to the underwater site via remotely operated vehicles.
Now, this is strictly my opinion, but even if every single individual who pays the $40,000 to dive with Deep Ocean Expeditions or pays for the possible underwater virtual visit with the 2011 planned 100th anniversary cruise has a scientific goal in mind, does the Titanic really need such an intrusion right now? As rapidly as parts of the ship are decaying, only wholly serious scientific expeditions such as those performed earlier this month by the Jean Charcot crew should be allowed to invade the wreckage site, in my opinion. Every time the ship is disturbed a little more of it is lost. Is profit on a cruise really worth that?
For more information:
Article Sources:
Cosmic Log: Titanic Quest Turns to New Territory
Cosmic Log: Expedition Bids Farewell to Titanic (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: Underwater Frontiers Still Beckon (Page contains expedition video)
Cosmic Log: How the Titanic Tore Apart (Page contains expedition video and photographs)
NBC News Reports of the Expeditions (contains video)
Expedition Titanic Video and Photograph Sources:
Expedition Titanic Web Site (click on the red "navigation" button on the left of the screen to navigate the site; "The Feed" contains video footage from the site)
RMS Titanic, INC. Facebook Page (houses a collection of photographs, you do not need an account to access this page)
Expedition Blog, Waitt Institute
Expedition Titanic YouTube Channel
RMS Titanic, INC Twitter Page
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Titanic News Page
David Gallo (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) Twitter Page
Specific Photos/Videos:
Officers Cabins
First-Class Promenade Deck
Expedition Titanic Target Planning Meeting
Titanic's "Jutting Bow"
Saturday, September 11, 2010
US Television, Beast Legends, Episode 1.1 "The Kraken"
Beast Legends
Season One, Episode One, The Kraken
Original Air Date: Thursday, September 9, 2010
I've got to say, I love stuff like this. I've always had a fascination with mythology and legend. When a television show comes along that looks to take myth & legend and build upon it with biological facts I've got to check it out.
Beast Legends is a new six-part documentary series currently being aired on the SyFy Channel. The goal of the show is to take legendary creatures and bring them to life using state-of-the-art computer graphics. Behind those computer graphics is old fashioned research, planning, animation and hard work. The investigative team consists of five individuals who bring a unique eye and imagination to each project. Steve Leonard is an adventurer and veterinary surgeon. Francis Manapul is a very talented comic book artist. Kathryn Denning (anthropologist, archaeologist & associate professor, York University, Canada) is a Legend Specialist. Scott Edwards (Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) is a biologist. Mike Paixao is an animator skilled at bringing anything to life using a computer.
The team has sifted through all the legends relating to the Kraken. They've gone through written accounts and take the information they glean from each source and make note of it to use in creating their computer-generated Kraken.
After approaching the Kraken from the mythological standpoint, they begin researching actual animals that the legend could be based upon. The three animals they research: giant squid, colossal squid and giant Pacific octopus.
Steve heads to Vancouver Island, Canada to catch and study a giant Pacific octopus. Jim Cosgrove (research associate, Royal British Columbia Museum) has been catching and researching octopi for some 30 years. Kevin VanClemput (scientific research diver) is an experienced diver who assists in catching the octopus. They find one and bring it on board to examine.
Meanwhile, Scott, Francis and Mike are working on the preliminary ideas for their Kraken. Francis and Mike want to add elements to the Kraken that Scott feels are unnecessary and make it too much like something from a comic book. Scott wants the creature to be based on on the real world.
Kathryn goes to Brest, France to speak with world-class competitive sailor Didier Ragot who, in 2003, had an experience he won't soon forget. A giant squid attached itself to the rudder of his boat some 200 nautical miles from the Canary Islands. The squid slowed his boat from 24 knots to 8 knots. Ragot, who has been sailing for four decades, estimated the length of the squid to be anywhere from 32-35 feet long.
Steve and Francis head to Wellington, New Zealand to view a video and the body of a colossal squid that is on display at the Museum of New Zealand. After viewing the just half-grown 14 ft, 1,091 pound creature they head to the Soren Larsen, a tall ship they use to base just how the Kraken would have taken down a similar ship. Using the scale from the ship, they determine the size of their Kraken: a full 200 ft.
The episode ends with the finished computer-generated animation of their Kraken. Their beast lives in the Kaikoura Canyon off New Zealand. First, the Kraken dines on a whale then attacks a boat.
Each member of the investigative team brings a lot to the mix. Kathryn, Steve and Scott bring real-world scientific knowledge while Francis and Mike bring a youthful and limitless imagination and creativity. I couldn't imagine any single creature that Francis and Mike would have difficulty bringing to life. At the same time, I couldn't imagine any creature that Kathryn, Scott and Steve would find difficult to find some sort of real-life animal upon which to base their legendary beast.
I greatly enjoyed that this episode blended mythology and legend with actual animals. That they found the three most likely suspects for a Kraken, researched them then based their computer-generated creature on that research. The reality blended with the mythology adds a bit of credence to the project and makes it just a bit more believable that a creature of the magnitude of the Kraken could actually dwell in the world's waters. This was almost like a blending of an oceanographic documentary and Monster Quest.
Future episodes of Beast Legends will focus on the dragon, the griffin, a giant shark, a killer bird and the Bigfoot of Vietnam.
Beast Legends airs every Thursday night at 10 P.M. (9 p.m. Central) on the SyFy Channel. Episode two, Fire Dragon airs on September 16, 2010.
For More Information:
Official Web Site: http://www.beastlegends.com/
Official SyFy Site: http://www.syfy.com/beastlegends/index.php
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-26229/?vote=10
Francis Manapul's Official Website: http://www.francismanapul.com/
Season One, Episode One, The Kraken
Original Air Date: Thursday, September 9, 2010
I've got to say, I love stuff like this. I've always had a fascination with mythology and legend. When a television show comes along that looks to take myth & legend and build upon it with biological facts I've got to check it out.
Beast Legends is a new six-part documentary series currently being aired on the SyFy Channel. The goal of the show is to take legendary creatures and bring them to life using state-of-the-art computer graphics. Behind those computer graphics is old fashioned research, planning, animation and hard work. The investigative team consists of five individuals who bring a unique eye and imagination to each project. Steve Leonard is an adventurer and veterinary surgeon. Francis Manapul is a very talented comic book artist. Kathryn Denning (anthropologist, archaeologist & associate professor, York University, Canada) is a Legend Specialist. Scott Edwards (Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) is a biologist. Mike Paixao is an animator skilled at bringing anything to life using a computer.
The team has sifted through all the legends relating to the Kraken. They've gone through written accounts and take the information they glean from each source and make note of it to use in creating their computer-generated Kraken.
After approaching the Kraken from the mythological standpoint, they begin researching actual animals that the legend could be based upon. The three animals they research: giant squid, colossal squid and giant Pacific octopus.
Steve heads to Vancouver Island, Canada to catch and study a giant Pacific octopus. Jim Cosgrove (research associate, Royal British Columbia Museum) has been catching and researching octopi for some 30 years. Kevin VanClemput (scientific research diver) is an experienced diver who assists in catching the octopus. They find one and bring it on board to examine.
Meanwhile, Scott, Francis and Mike are working on the preliminary ideas for their Kraken. Francis and Mike want to add elements to the Kraken that Scott feels are unnecessary and make it too much like something from a comic book. Scott wants the creature to be based on on the real world.
Kathryn goes to Brest, France to speak with world-class competitive sailor Didier Ragot who, in 2003, had an experience he won't soon forget. A giant squid attached itself to the rudder of his boat some 200 nautical miles from the Canary Islands. The squid slowed his boat from 24 knots to 8 knots. Ragot, who has been sailing for four decades, estimated the length of the squid to be anywhere from 32-35 feet long.
Steve and Francis head to Wellington, New Zealand to view a video and the body of a colossal squid that is on display at the Museum of New Zealand. After viewing the just half-grown 14 ft, 1,091 pound creature they head to the Soren Larsen, a tall ship they use to base just how the Kraken would have taken down a similar ship. Using the scale from the ship, they determine the size of their Kraken: a full 200 ft.
The episode ends with the finished computer-generated animation of their Kraken. Their beast lives in the Kaikoura Canyon off New Zealand. First, the Kraken dines on a whale then attacks a boat.
Each member of the investigative team brings a lot to the mix. Kathryn, Steve and Scott bring real-world scientific knowledge while Francis and Mike bring a youthful and limitless imagination and creativity. I couldn't imagine any single creature that Francis and Mike would have difficulty bringing to life. At the same time, I couldn't imagine any creature that Kathryn, Scott and Steve would find difficult to find some sort of real-life animal upon which to base their legendary beast.
I greatly enjoyed that this episode blended mythology and legend with actual animals. That they found the three most likely suspects for a Kraken, researched them then based their computer-generated creature on that research. The reality blended with the mythology adds a bit of credence to the project and makes it just a bit more believable that a creature of the magnitude of the Kraken could actually dwell in the world's waters. This was almost like a blending of an oceanographic documentary and Monster Quest.
Future episodes of Beast Legends will focus on the dragon, the griffin, a giant shark, a killer bird and the Bigfoot of Vietnam.
Beast Legends airs every Thursday night at 10 P.M. (9 p.m. Central) on the SyFy Channel. Episode two, Fire Dragon airs on September 16, 2010.
For More Information:
Official Web Site: http://www.beastlegends.com/
Official SyFy Site: http://www.syfy.com/beastlegends/index.php
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-26229/?vote=10
Francis Manapul's Official Website: http://www.francismanapul.com/
US Television, Beast Legends, Episode 1.1 "The Kraken"
Beast Legends
Season One, Episode One, The Kraken
Original Air Date: Thursday, September 9, 2010
I've got to say, I love stuff like this. I've always had a fascination with mythology and legend. When a television show comes along that looks to take myth & legend and build upon it with biological facts I've got to check it out.
Beast Legends is a new six-part documentary series currently being aired on the SyFy Channel. The goal of the show is to take legendary creatures and bring them to life using state-of-the-art computer graphics. Behind those computer graphics is old fashioned research, planning, animation and hard work. The investigative team consists of five individuals who bring a unique eye and imagination to each project. Steve Leonard is an adventurer and veterinary surgeon. Francis Manapul is a very talented comic book artist. Kathryn Denning (anthropologist, archaeologist & associate professor, York University, Canada) is a Legend Specialist. Scott Edwards (Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) is a biologist. Mike Paixao is an animator skilled at bringing anything to life using a computer.
The team has sifted through all the legends relating to the Kraken. They've gone through written accounts and take the information they glean from each source and make note of it to use in creating their computer-generated Kraken.
After approaching the Kraken from the mythological standpoint, they begin researching actual animals that the legend could be based upon. The three animals they research: giant squid, colossal squid and giant Pacific octopus.
Steve heads to Vancouver Island, Canada to catch and study a giant Pacific octopus. Jim Cosgrove (research associate, Royal British Columbia Museum) has been catching and researching octopi for some 30 years. Kevin VanClemput (scientific research diver) is an experienced diver who assists in catching the octopus. They find one and bring it on board to examine.
Meanwhile, Scott, Francis and Mike are working on the preliminary ideas for their Kraken. Francis and Mike want to add elements to the Kraken that Scott feels are unnecessary and make it too much like something from a comic book. Scott wants the creature to be based on on the real world.
Kathryn goes to Brest, France to speak with world-class competitive sailor Didier Ragot who, in 2003, had an experience he won't soon forget. A giant squid attached itself to the rudder of his boat some 200 nautical miles from the Canary Islands. The squid slowed his boat from 24 knots to 8 knots. Ragot, who has been sailing for four decades, estimated the length of the squid to be anywhere from 32-35 feet long.
Steve and Francis head to Wellington, New Zealand to view a video and the body of a colossal squid that is on display at the Museum of New Zealand. After viewing the just half-grown 14 ft, 1,091 pound creature they head to the Soren Larsen, a tall ship they use to base just how the Kraken would have taken down a similar ship. Using the scale from the ship, they determine the size of their Kraken: a full 200 ft.
The episode ends with the finished computer-generated animation of their Kraken. Their beast lives in the Kaikoura Canyon off New Zealand. First, the Kraken dines on a whale then attacks a boat.
Each member of the investigative team brings a lot to the mix. Kathryn, Steve and Scott bring real-world scientific knowledge while Francis and Mike bring a youthful and limitless imagination and creativity. I couldn't imagine any single creature that Francis and Mike would have difficulty bringing to life. At the same time, I couldn't imagine any creature that Kathryn, Scott and Steve would find difficult to find some sort of real-life animal upon which to base their legendary beast.
I greatly enjoyed that this episode blended mythology and legend with actual animals. That they found the three most likely suspects for a Kraken, researched them then based their computer-generated creature on that research. The reality blended with the mythology adds a bit of credence to the project and makes it just a bit more believable that a creature of the magnitude of the Kraken could actually dwell in the world's waters. This was almost like a blending of an oceanographic documentary and Monster Quest.
Future episodes of Beast Legends will focus on the dragon, the griffin, a giant shark, a killer bird and the Bigfoot of Vietnam.
Beast Legends airs every Thursday night at 10 P.M. (9 p.m. Central) on the SyFy Channel. Episode two, Fire Dragon airs on September 16, 2010.
For More Information:
Official Web Site: http://www.beastlegends.com/
Official SyFy Site: http://www.syfy.com/beastlegends/index.php
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-26229/?vote=10
Francis Manapul's Official Website: http://www.francismanapul.com/
Season One, Episode One, The Kraken
Original Air Date: Thursday, September 9, 2010
I've got to say, I love stuff like this. I've always had a fascination with mythology and legend. When a television show comes along that looks to take myth & legend and build upon it with biological facts I've got to check it out.
Beast Legends is a new six-part documentary series currently being aired on the SyFy Channel. The goal of the show is to take legendary creatures and bring them to life using state-of-the-art computer graphics. Behind those computer graphics is old fashioned research, planning, animation and hard work. The investigative team consists of five individuals who bring a unique eye and imagination to each project. Steve Leonard is an adventurer and veterinary surgeon. Francis Manapul is a very talented comic book artist. Kathryn Denning (anthropologist, archaeologist & associate professor, York University, Canada) is a Legend Specialist. Scott Edwards (Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University) is a biologist. Mike Paixao is an animator skilled at bringing anything to life using a computer.
The team has sifted through all the legends relating to the Kraken. They've gone through written accounts and take the information they glean from each source and make note of it to use in creating their computer-generated Kraken.
After approaching the Kraken from the mythological standpoint, they begin researching actual animals that the legend could be based upon. The three animals they research: giant squid, colossal squid and giant Pacific octopus.
Steve heads to Vancouver Island, Canada to catch and study a giant Pacific octopus. Jim Cosgrove (research associate, Royal British Columbia Museum) has been catching and researching octopi for some 30 years. Kevin VanClemput (scientific research diver) is an experienced diver who assists in catching the octopus. They find one and bring it on board to examine.
Meanwhile, Scott, Francis and Mike are working on the preliminary ideas for their Kraken. Francis and Mike want to add elements to the Kraken that Scott feels are unnecessary and make it too much like something from a comic book. Scott wants the creature to be based on on the real world.
Kathryn goes to Brest, France to speak with world-class competitive sailor Didier Ragot who, in 2003, had an experience he won't soon forget. A giant squid attached itself to the rudder of his boat some 200 nautical miles from the Canary Islands. The squid slowed his boat from 24 knots to 8 knots. Ragot, who has been sailing for four decades, estimated the length of the squid to be anywhere from 32-35 feet long.
Steve and Francis head to Wellington, New Zealand to view a video and the body of a colossal squid that is on display at the Museum of New Zealand. After viewing the just half-grown 14 ft, 1,091 pound creature they head to the Soren Larsen, a tall ship they use to base just how the Kraken would have taken down a similar ship. Using the scale from the ship, they determine the size of their Kraken: a full 200 ft.
The episode ends with the finished computer-generated animation of their Kraken. Their beast lives in the Kaikoura Canyon off New Zealand. First, the Kraken dines on a whale then attacks a boat.
Each member of the investigative team brings a lot to the mix. Kathryn, Steve and Scott bring real-world scientific knowledge while Francis and Mike bring a youthful and limitless imagination and creativity. I couldn't imagine any single creature that Francis and Mike would have difficulty bringing to life. At the same time, I couldn't imagine any creature that Kathryn, Scott and Steve would find difficult to find some sort of real-life animal upon which to base their legendary beast.
I greatly enjoyed that this episode blended mythology and legend with actual animals. That they found the three most likely suspects for a Kraken, researched them then based their computer-generated creature on that research. The reality blended with the mythology adds a bit of credence to the project and makes it just a bit more believable that a creature of the magnitude of the Kraken could actually dwell in the world's waters. This was almost like a blending of an oceanographic documentary and Monster Quest.
Future episodes of Beast Legends will focus on the dragon, the griffin, a giant shark, a killer bird and the Bigfoot of Vietnam.
Beast Legends airs every Thursday night at 10 P.M. (9 p.m. Central) on the SyFy Channel. Episode two, Fire Dragon airs on September 16, 2010.
For More Information:
Official Web Site: http://www.beastlegends.com/
Official SyFy Site: http://www.syfy.com/beastlegends/index.php
TV Rage: http://www.tvrage.com/shows/id-26229/?vote=10
Francis Manapul's Official Website: http://www.francismanapul.com/
Monday, August 9, 2010
Massive Ice Island Breaks Off From Greenland Glacier
Scientists announced this past Friday that on Thursday, August 5, 2010 a massive island of ice four times the size of Manhattan broke off from one of the two main glaciers belonging to Greenland. This is the biggest event of this kind in almost 50 years. The massive island of ice will enter the Nares Straight between Greenland and Canada. The ice island is as thick as half the height of the Empire State Building and has an area of 100 square miles.
Andreas Muenchow, a professor of ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware said he expected a portion of ice to break off from the Petermann Glacier but he didn't believe the portion would be so large. The glacier was one of the two largest remaining glaciers in Greenland and had been growing in size for seven or eight years.
Muenchow says the fresh water in the island could keep the Delaware or Hudson Rivers flowing for more than two years or keep all public tap water in the United States flowing for 120 days.
Questions have been raised as to whether or not global warming has played a hand in the breaking off of this massive chunk of ice. As records of the sea water around the glacier have only been kept since 2003, Muenchow said, "Nobody can claim this was caused by global warming. On the other hand, nobody can claim that it wasn't."
This isn't the first chunk of ice to break off Greenland this year. In July, a piece of ice roughly one-eighth the size of Manhattan island fell from Greenland's Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier.
Muenchow speculates the ice island could do one of three things: fuse to land, break up into smaller pieces or slowly move south and block shipping routes.
For more information and to see a photograph of the ice island, you can check out this article at ouramazingplanet.com.
For further information about the ice that fell from the Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier, and to see photos from NASA, you can read this article.
Andreas Muenchow, a professor of ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware said he expected a portion of ice to break off from the Petermann Glacier but he didn't believe the portion would be so large. The glacier was one of the two largest remaining glaciers in Greenland and had been growing in size for seven or eight years.
Muenchow says the fresh water in the island could keep the Delaware or Hudson Rivers flowing for more than two years or keep all public tap water in the United States flowing for 120 days.
Questions have been raised as to whether or not global warming has played a hand in the breaking off of this massive chunk of ice. As records of the sea water around the glacier have only been kept since 2003, Muenchow said, "Nobody can claim this was caused by global warming. On the other hand, nobody can claim that it wasn't."
This isn't the first chunk of ice to break off Greenland this year. In July, a piece of ice roughly one-eighth the size of Manhattan island fell from Greenland's Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier.
Muenchow speculates the ice island could do one of three things: fuse to land, break up into smaller pieces or slowly move south and block shipping routes.
For more information and to see a photograph of the ice island, you can check out this article at ouramazingplanet.com.
For further information about the ice that fell from the Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier, and to see photos from NASA, you can read this article.
Massive Ice Island Breaks Off From Greenland Glacier
Scientists announced this past Friday that on Thursday, August 5, 2010 a massive island of ice four times the size of Manhattan broke off from one of the two main glaciers belonging to Greenland. This is the biggest event of this kind in almost 50 years. The massive island of ice will enter the Nares Straight between Greenland and Canada. The ice island is as thick as half the height of the Empire State Building and has an area of 100 square miles.
Andreas Muenchow, a professor of ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware said he expected a portion of ice to break off from the Petermann Glacier but he didn't believe the portion would be so large. The glacier was one of the two largest remaining glaciers in Greenland and had been growing in size for seven or eight years.
Muenchow says the fresh water in the island could keep the Delaware or Hudson Rivers flowing for more than two years or keep all public tap water in the United States flowing for 120 days.
Questions have been raised as to whether or not global warming has played a hand in the breaking off of this massive chunk of ice. As records of the sea water around the glacier have only been kept since 2003, Muenchow said, "Nobody can claim this was caused by global warming. On the other hand, nobody can claim that it wasn't."
This isn't the first chunk of ice to break off Greenland this year. In July, a piece of ice roughly one-eighth the size of Manhattan island fell from Greenland's Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier.
Muenchow speculates the ice island could do one of three things: fuse to land, break up into smaller pieces or slowly move south and block shipping routes.
For more information and to see a photograph of the ice island, you can check out this article at ouramazingplanet.com.
For further information about the ice that fell from the Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier, and to see photos from NASA, you can read this article.
Andreas Muenchow, a professor of ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware said he expected a portion of ice to break off from the Petermann Glacier but he didn't believe the portion would be so large. The glacier was one of the two largest remaining glaciers in Greenland and had been growing in size for seven or eight years.
Muenchow says the fresh water in the island could keep the Delaware or Hudson Rivers flowing for more than two years or keep all public tap water in the United States flowing for 120 days.
Questions have been raised as to whether or not global warming has played a hand in the breaking off of this massive chunk of ice. As records of the sea water around the glacier have only been kept since 2003, Muenchow said, "Nobody can claim this was caused by global warming. On the other hand, nobody can claim that it wasn't."
This isn't the first chunk of ice to break off Greenland this year. In July, a piece of ice roughly one-eighth the size of Manhattan island fell from Greenland's Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier.
Muenchow speculates the ice island could do one of three things: fuse to land, break up into smaller pieces or slowly move south and block shipping routes.
For more information and to see a photograph of the ice island, you can check out this article at ouramazingplanet.com.
For further information about the ice that fell from the Jakobshaven Isbrae glacier, and to see photos from NASA, you can read this article.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Newly Discovered Dinosaur: Mojoceratops
Paleontologist Nicholas Longrich, a postdoctoral associate at Yale University discovered and named the dinosaur after the heart-shaped frill around its head. After a round of beers with some colleagues, Longrich decided upon the name "Mojoceratops". The name was thought of to be a joke, at first, but the name stuck even though Longrich tried to come up with a more serious name. The dinosaur's full and official name is Mojoceratops perifania.
Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus. Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls. It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin. It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.
Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.
Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.
Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus. Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls. It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin. It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.
Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.
Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.
Newly Discovered Dinosaur: Mojoceratops
Paleontologist Nicholas Longrich, a postdoctoral associate at Yale University discovered and named the dinosaur after the heart-shaped frill around its head. After a round of beers with some colleagues, Longrich decided upon the name "Mojoceratops". The name was thought of to be a joke, at first, but the name stuck even though Longrich tried to come up with a more serious name. The dinosaur's full and official name is Mojoceratops perifania.
Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus. Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls. It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin. It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.
Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.
Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.
Mojoceratops belongs to the chasmosaurine ceratopsid family and was a plant eater roughly the size of a hippopotamus. Chasmosaurine ceratopsid's are characterized by elaborate frills on their skulls. It lived around 75 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous period, some 10 million years before the Triceratops, Mojo's more well-known cousin. It is related to another dinosaur species found in Texas in the United States but Mojoceratops lived only in the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. It walked the earth for a mere 1 million years before dying out.
Longrich made his discovery by researching dinosaur fossils in American and Canadian museums.
Read this article for more information about this new dinosaur with a cool name and to see a picture of its frilled skull.
Friday, May 28, 2010
500 Million Year Old Mollusk Identified
It was discovered in British Columbia, Canada and looks like a cross between a shrimp and cartoon alien but it is actually one of the world's oldest and most primitive cephalopods.
It's name is Nectocaris pteryx pushes the origins of cephalopods back at least 30 million years making them one of the longest lasting animal groups on Earth. Cephalopods include modern octopi, squids and cluttlefish.
Martin Smith, a paleobiologist at the Royal Ontario Museum's Department of Natural History told Discovery News "modern cephalopods display a quite astonishing intelligence, and I like to think that Nectocaris may have been the smartest critter in the Cambrian sea."
Smith and his colleague, Jean-Bernard Caron studied at least 91 Nectocaris fossils found from the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia. Thanks to the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied animals Burgess Shale is known for, the paleobiologists were able to get an idea as to what primitive cephalopods looked like.
Nectocaris did not have a hard shell contrary to what most scientists had thought for decades. According to Smith, "shells evolved much later, probably in response to increased levels of competition and predation in the Late Cambrian."
Nectocaris was approximately 2 inches long, quite small by modern cephalopod standards, and swam using its large lateral fins. It could accelerate to high speeds by using a nozzle-like funnel to squirt out water. It was kite-shaped and flat from top to bottom with large, stalked eyes and a long pair of grasping tentacles.
Other scientists have wondered why Nectocaris lacked such cephalopod features as a ring of tentacles around the mouth, a beak and a radula. According to Smith, he and Caron were able to identify some possible mouthparts but that they weren't well preserved for them to describe in detail.
Highlights from the Royal Ontario Museum's Burgess Shale collection will go on display in its future Peter F. Bronfman Gallery of Early Life. They will also be able to be seen on the Virtual Museum of Canada Burgess Shale website which will be launched in the spring of 2011.
For more information on this interesting mollusk and to see an artists rendition of what Nectocaris would have looked like you can read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and find further information in the Vancouver Sun's Technology section.
It's name is Nectocaris pteryx pushes the origins of cephalopods back at least 30 million years making them one of the longest lasting animal groups on Earth. Cephalopods include modern octopi, squids and cluttlefish.
Martin Smith, a paleobiologist at the Royal Ontario Museum's Department of Natural History told Discovery News "modern cephalopods display a quite astonishing intelligence, and I like to think that Nectocaris may have been the smartest critter in the Cambrian sea."
Smith and his colleague, Jean-Bernard Caron studied at least 91 Nectocaris fossils found from the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia. Thanks to the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied animals Burgess Shale is known for, the paleobiologists were able to get an idea as to what primitive cephalopods looked like.
Nectocaris did not have a hard shell contrary to what most scientists had thought for decades. According to Smith, "shells evolved much later, probably in response to increased levels of competition and predation in the Late Cambrian."
Nectocaris was approximately 2 inches long, quite small by modern cephalopod standards, and swam using its large lateral fins. It could accelerate to high speeds by using a nozzle-like funnel to squirt out water. It was kite-shaped and flat from top to bottom with large, stalked eyes and a long pair of grasping tentacles.
Other scientists have wondered why Nectocaris lacked such cephalopod features as a ring of tentacles around the mouth, a beak and a radula. According to Smith, he and Caron were able to identify some possible mouthparts but that they weren't well preserved for them to describe in detail.
Highlights from the Royal Ontario Museum's Burgess Shale collection will go on display in its future Peter F. Bronfman Gallery of Early Life. They will also be able to be seen on the Virtual Museum of Canada Burgess Shale website which will be launched in the spring of 2011.
For more information on this interesting mollusk and to see an artists rendition of what Nectocaris would have looked like you can read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and find further information in the Vancouver Sun's Technology section.
500 Million Year Old Mollusk Identified
It was discovered in British Columbia, Canada and looks like a cross between a shrimp and cartoon alien but it is actually one of the world's oldest and most primitive cephalopods.
It's name is Nectocaris pteryx pushes the origins of cephalopods back at least 30 million years making them one of the longest lasting animal groups on Earth. Cephalopods include modern octopi, squids and cluttlefish.
Martin Smith, a paleobiologist at the Royal Ontario Museum's Department of Natural History told Discovery News "modern cephalopods display a quite astonishing intelligence, and I like to think that Nectocaris may have been the smartest critter in the Cambrian sea."
Smith and his colleague, Jean-Bernard Caron studied at least 91 Nectocaris fossils found from the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia. Thanks to the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied animals Burgess Shale is known for, the paleobiologists were able to get an idea as to what primitive cephalopods looked like.
Nectocaris did not have a hard shell contrary to what most scientists had thought for decades. According to Smith, "shells evolved much later, probably in response to increased levels of competition and predation in the Late Cambrian."
Nectocaris was approximately 2 inches long, quite small by modern cephalopod standards, and swam using its large lateral fins. It could accelerate to high speeds by using a nozzle-like funnel to squirt out water. It was kite-shaped and flat from top to bottom with large, stalked eyes and a long pair of grasping tentacles.
Other scientists have wondered why Nectocaris lacked such cephalopod features as a ring of tentacles around the mouth, a beak and a radula. According to Smith, he and Caron were able to identify some possible mouthparts but that they weren't well preserved for them to describe in detail.
Highlights from the Royal Ontario Museum's Burgess Shale collection will go on display in its future Peter F. Bronfman Gallery of Early Life. They will also be able to be seen on the Virtual Museum of Canada Burgess Shale website which will be launched in the spring of 2011.
For more information on this interesting mollusk and to see an artists rendition of what Nectocaris would have looked like you can read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and find further information in the Vancouver Sun's Technology section.
It's name is Nectocaris pteryx pushes the origins of cephalopods back at least 30 million years making them one of the longest lasting animal groups on Earth. Cephalopods include modern octopi, squids and cluttlefish.
Martin Smith, a paleobiologist at the Royal Ontario Museum's Department of Natural History told Discovery News "modern cephalopods display a quite astonishing intelligence, and I like to think that Nectocaris may have been the smartest critter in the Cambrian sea."
Smith and his colleague, Jean-Bernard Caron studied at least 91 Nectocaris fossils found from the Burgess Shale, located in Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia. Thanks to the exceptional preservation of soft-bodied animals Burgess Shale is known for, the paleobiologists were able to get an idea as to what primitive cephalopods looked like.
Nectocaris did not have a hard shell contrary to what most scientists had thought for decades. According to Smith, "shells evolved much later, probably in response to increased levels of competition and predation in the Late Cambrian."
Nectocaris was approximately 2 inches long, quite small by modern cephalopod standards, and swam using its large lateral fins. It could accelerate to high speeds by using a nozzle-like funnel to squirt out water. It was kite-shaped and flat from top to bottom with large, stalked eyes and a long pair of grasping tentacles.
Other scientists have wondered why Nectocaris lacked such cephalopod features as a ring of tentacles around the mouth, a beak and a radula. According to Smith, he and Caron were able to identify some possible mouthparts but that they weren't well preserved for them to describe in detail.
Highlights from the Royal Ontario Museum's Burgess Shale collection will go on display in its future Peter F. Bronfman Gallery of Early Life. They will also be able to be seen on the Virtual Museum of Canada Burgess Shale website which will be launched in the spring of 2011.
For more information on this interesting mollusk and to see an artists rendition of what Nectocaris would have looked like you can read the MSNBC.com Technology and Science article and find further information in the Vancouver Sun's Technology section.
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