Left-Centric

Photos: Nobel Peace Prize

 


Nobel Peace Prize laureate U.S. President Barack Obama poses with his diploma and medal after receiving the prize at the award ceremony in Oslo City Hall December 10, 2009




Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon Magnus hold hands, during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony


Toby Keith




U.S. actor Will Smith and his daugther Willow, left, applauds President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Barack Obama and his wife Michelle, at the end of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony






People watch a large TV screen in a park as U.S. President Barack Obama speaks after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo December 10, 2009. The United States must uphold moral standards when waging wars that are necessary and justified, Obama said on Thursday as he accepted the Nobel Prize for Peace. In a speech at the award ceremony in Oslo, Obama said violent conflict would not be eradicated "in our lifetimes", there would be times when nations would need to fight just wars and he would not stand idle in the face of threats to the American people.








Protester Silke Tudor (L), 38, holds a cardboard coffin in Times Square as she and others protest against U.S. President Barack Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize and the war in Afghanistan, in New York City December 10, 2009.


US President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Barack Obama, centre right, and wife Michelle, wave to the crowd from a balcony on Grand Hotel after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize during a ceremony at City Hall in Oslo










Chinese pianist Lang Lang looks at his mobile device while attending the Nobel banquet in Oslo December 10, 2009. Lang Lang played earlier today at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony for U.S. President Barack Obama.

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Killer whale beats the crap out of shark, dines

Killer whale beats the crap out of shark, dines

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And this is why you don't fuck with orcas.

Quote:

The notorious Great White and Mako are just two of at least nine species of shark known to be on the menu for some orca families. Populations of orcas in territories across the globe - including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Farallon Islands off America's West Coast - have devised a number of strategies with which to take down their mighty adversaries. But to make sure they don't end up seriously injured when attacking such dangerous prey, the orcas spend years perfecting the various techniques and watching more experienced adults demonstrate how to do it properly. 'The most impressive strategy is the 'karate chop'," said expert Dr Ingrid Visser, 43, who has studied orca behaviour for 17 years. 'The orca will use its tail to drive the shark to the surface. They don't even touch it. Using an up-thrust of its tail it creates a vortex which pushes the shark up on the current they create with their movements. 'Once the shark is at the surface, the killer whale pivots and lifts its tail out of the water and comes down on top of it like a karate chop.' With the shark dazed, the orca grasps the dazed shark and turns it upside down - giving a mind-boggling impression that the killer whale understands shark biology. When sharks are quickly flipped upside down, they enter paralysed state known as 'tonic immobility' - making for an easy meal. 'It's not that the orca understands the physiology of the shark,' said Dr Visser, from Tutukaka, North Island, New Zealand.. 'But it does demonstrate that they understand the behavioural consequences of what will happen if they take a certain action. 'You don't need to understand how a car works in order to drive it. All you need to know is the individual behaviours that make the car go. 'In the same way, it seems the orcas that can do this have learned that if they turn the shark upside down, they don't fight back. They simply manipulate that to their advantage.' Other methods observed by scientists include 'corralling', where groups of orcas circle a lone shark and ram it at the least dangerous opportunity, or stealthily approaching the shark from directly below and catching it off guard in a violent sneak attack at its underbelly. 'They always eventually turn the shark upside down," added Dr Visser. "At that point the shark cannot fight back, it has been a successful hunt and they can feed.' She added: 'We don't think that the orcas are specifically making a decision to go out and hunt shark. The marine world can be a difficult place to find food. When there is an opportunity, an orca will take it.'

The Stupid Asshole Virus

Still Amazing...

Here is actual "as-it-happened" footage from CBS, with Walter Cronkite reporting on the historic moon landing of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969. Exactly 40 years ago today. See the concluding videos after the jump.