A cross-eyed opossum in Germany called Heidi who is not yet even on public display has become an Internet hit, winning more than 65,000 admirers on social networking website Facebook. Heidi is thought to be two and a half years old, and was abandoned outside an animal shelter in North Carolina in the United States, together with her sister Naira, and has been in Leipzig zoo in eastern Germany since May.
The sisters, plus a third male opossum called Teddy, arrived via a zoo in Denmark, and will make their public debut on July 1, the German zoo says on a special Internet page set up for Heidi’s fans.
The zoo believes the marsupial’s eye problem may be to do with her diet before she was abandoned, or because she is overweight, leading to fat deposits behind her eyes. Otherwise she is completely normal and not in pain.
It’s a great conversation starter: “What’s your sign?” But before you ask or answer that question, consider this: your zodiac sign corresponds to the position of the sun relative to constellations as they appeared over 2200 years ago!
The science behind astrology may have its roots in astronomy but don’t confuse these two disciplines. Astronomy can explain the position of the stars in the sky but it’s up to you to determine what, if anything, their alignment signifies.
The table below lists the dates when the Sun is actually within the astronomical constellations of the Zodiac, according to modern constellation boundaries and corrected for precession (these dates can vary a day from year to year).
You will most likely find that once precession is taken into account, your zodiac sign is different. And if you were born between November 29 and December 17, your sign is actually one you never saw in the newspaper: you are an Ophiuchus! The eliptic passes through the constellation of Ophiuchus after Scorpius.
Capricorn – Jan 20 to Feb 16
Aquarius – Feb 16 to Mar 11
Pisces – Mar 11 to Apr 18
Aries – Apr 18 to May 13
Taurus – May 13 to Jun 21
Gemini – Jun 21 to Jul 20
Cancer – Jul 20 to Aug 10
Leo – Aug 10 to Sep 16
Virgo – Sep 16 to Oct 30
Libra – Oct 30 to Nov 23
Scorpius – Nov 23 to Nov 29
Ophiuchus – Nov 29 to Dec 17
Sagittarius – Dec 17 to Jan 20
New Roomba-like household robots are popping every day, now. The Windoro consists of two scrubbing modules, one on each side of the glass, held together with magnets:
The robot uses distance sensors, attitude adjustment, and obstacle detection while doing its little window waltz, employing detergent and a series of spinning pads to wash up as it goes.
Dancing Like No One’s Watching – Irish contestant Happiness first audition. She got 3 stars and got through to the next round. Song is Scatman by Scatman John.
Once Facebook reaches 500 investors, an SEC rule will require the company to disclose its finances and begin quarterly reports, a usual precursor to the beginnings of an IPO offering.
The company, now based in Palo Alto, could still retain a private ownership structure, but an IPO is the more probable scenario given Facebook will have to make many of the same disclosures of a publicly traded company anyway.
