Baby whale seems to think yacht is its mother | weird facts

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SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- A lost humpback whale calf that bonded with a yacht it seems to think is its mother will likely die within days if it doesn't find another mother to adopt it, a wildlife official said Tuesday.

The 1- to 2-month-old calf was first sighted Sunday in waters off north Sydney, and on Monday tried to suckle from a yacht, which it would not leave. Rescuers towed the yacht out to sea, and the calf finally detached from the boat, but the creature returned to an inlet near Sydney Tuesday morning, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman John Dengate said.

The calf can't survive without mother's milk for long, Dengate told Australia's Fairfax Radio Network.

"It's probably a question of days rather than weeks," he said. "It's a very grim prognosis."

Artificial feeding would be impossible, so the calf's only chance is to find another female whale to accept it, he said.

"If a lactating female with a calf goes past and this calf approaches that animal it may accept it, but ... it's a very slim chance," Dengate said.

[Via - AP]

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Illinois sheriff does jail time - voluntarily | Weird Facts

weird facts
WAUKEGAN, Ill. - The Lake County sheriff is behind bars — voluntarily.

Sheriff Mark Curran said his goal is to talk to inmates so he can see the jail from their perspective. That way he can try to solve potential problems, such as safety issues, and better understand the inmate experience, he said.

Real inmates bunk together in a cell, but Curran will sleep in his own cell for safety reasons. He was locked up Wednesday.

"I want some introspection but let's be realistic. I'm never going to be able to completely create that scenario," Curran told The Associated Press by telephone from jail.

Curran said he's also trying to draw attention to the fact that jails are overpopulated with the mentally ill, the uneducated and repeat offenders. Rehabilitation needs to be a focus, he said.

So far Curran said he has met several inmates, not all of whom appeared to realize he was sheriff. For those who do recognize him, he said he'll have to work to gain their trust.

"There might be some skepticism amongst them," he said. "You break down the walls as much as you possibly can."

Unlike the other inmates, Curran gets to leave on a date he chooses: Aug. 27.

[Via Yahoo.news]

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How to Compare Different Credit Cards

Before you apply for your next credit card, take the time to compare different cards. By making an informed decision you may save yourself money and frustration in the long run.

Step 1
Compare the current and ongoing interest rates of different Credit Cards before you apply. Though many banks may offer a low introductory interest rate, it is important to know how high the interest rate will increase once that period has ended.

Step 2
Look for additional fees, such as application charges or annual fees. Many times lower interest rate credit cards may be offset by a high annual fees or charges.

Step 3
Check to see if the interest rate differs for services such as cash advances or balance transfers. Many times, the rate may be as much as twice the normal APR.

Step 4
Keep in mind that many credit cards charge you additional fees for purchases made in a foreign country. This is a detail not to be overlooked, especially if you plan to travel or make purchases from overseas vendors.

Step 5
Know what the penalty will be if you charge purchases over your credit limit or make a late payment. These fees may be large and they do earn interest.

Compare the Fringe Benefits

Step 1
Find a card that gives you something in return, such as cash back rewards or airline mileage.

Step 2
Contribute to a cause you care about by selecting a credit card that donates to your university or a favorite charity each time you make a purchase. In many cases, your alumni credit card may serve as alumni dues for your alma mater.

Step 3
Find a credit card to suit your personal style. Many companies are now offering different designs for their credit cards.

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Puerto Rico corpse kept upright for 3-day wake | Weird Facts

weird facts
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - A Puerto Rican man has been granted his wish to remain standing — even in death.

A funeral home used a special embalming treatment to keep the corpse of 24-year-old Angel Pantoja Medina standing upright for his three-day wake.

Dressed in a Yankees baseball cap and sunglasses, Pantoja was mourned by relatives while propped upright in his mother's living room.

His brother Carlos told the El Nuevo Dia newspaper the victim had long said he wanted to be upright for his own wake: "He wanted to be happy, standing."

The owner of the Marin Funeral Home, Damaris Marin, told The Associated Press the mother asked him to fulfill her dead son's last wish.

Pantoja was found dead Friday underneath a bridge in San Juan and buried Monday. Police are investigating.

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How to Avoid Common Search Engine Optimization Mistakes

Unless you're a very strange person, you put your website up for the world to see. You want visitors for fun and profit! Why aren’t you getting them? There are lots of answers. The lack of an audience is not one of them. Do you like ray guns? Dinosaur jokes? If the Web has demonstrated one thing, it’s that there’s pretty much no topic that doesn’t have its share of devotees. Let's talk about the mistakes to avoid, step by step.
by California SEO

1. Optimize your coding if your site uses outdated HTML or generally wacky code. Examples include using the bold tag instead of the strong tag, visible HTML tabling, frames and anything else that makes the site look bad, you won't get as many visitors. Comply with the most recent universal HTML standards.

2. Use your titles. Search engines display your titles as links back to your site. If the title says “Index,” that doesn’t tell anyone a thing. Why should they click through? Search engines also give titles a great deal of weight when judging keyword relevance. Don’t stuff your titles with keywords but don’t avoid using them, either.

3. Use social media to promote your site. If your site doesn’t have any social media tools or connections, it’s automatically at a disadvantage. Get a blog, at least. Add buttons that let your visitors report interesting content to social aggregators like Technorati and Digg.

4. Include interesting, well-written content. You can have the most technically search-optimized site in the world, but if real people don’t want to read any of it, it will never improve by much. Search engines want sites that people want to visit. Ethical SEO is as much about increasing this “organic” appeal as good coding. You would think this step would be obvious, but unfortunately, the casual nature of web browsing (You can do it in your underwear!) lulls people into being a bit careless when they put content up.

5. Hire someone if you don't have skills. If you're considering hiring an full-blown SEO firm, see how their other clients rank and have responded to the company's services. Take this guys as an example: California SEO

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