Status Update_ I'm Getting Hungry Here

First of all, our apologies to our friends in Karachi and Islamabad for forgetting to put Pakistan in our links section yesterday as we mentioned a uniquely named coffee place in that country yesterday, but we forgot to link them. Of course, all of the blame goes to Javier the intern.


As for my status update for 1/27: "I am as hungry as Gustave the man-eating crocodile."

"Mental Floss" has a great story in the current article about the central African country of Burundi where one can find Gustave, a 65-year-old croc who has reportedly eaten 300 people. Perhaps, he now qualifies for the senior citizens discount at Denny's!

While researching this piece, we found out that the T-Bone Steak House in Phoenix offers up a 24-ounce t-bone for $27, while our vegan friends in New York (actually, we don't have any vegan friends in New York that we know of, according to Javier) can go to Blossom on 187 9th Avenue. The establishment was voted the best vegetarian place to eat in 2008 and 2009 by "Time Out New York."

I'm not sure if it's going to be a t-bone or a tofu burger, but I need to get some food!

NOTE: The crocodile in the photo is NOT Gustave, but I'd advise against taking his close-up.

Things We Learned from the BBC Today- Big Spider Web Found in Madagascar

Alas, we couldn't find the impressive image of the some 50-foot long spider's web found by scientists on a riverbed in the southest African nation of Madagascar, but we did find this image which we can also use as an homage to Stan Lee (the creator of the comic book character "Spiderman").


The web was found by a team of scientists, according to the BBC, which included Ingi Agnarsson who told the media outlet the following after seeing the spectacle of nature for himself:

"Some of the webs qualify, to be to the best of our knowledge, as the largest spider webs ever documented."

The scientists have also indicated that the web is the product of a Darwin's bark spider, which is a recently discovered spider species.

The largest spider web found in the United States was in Texas in 2007. I imagine it did nothing to help cure anyone's arachnophobia.

Things We Learned on the BBC Today

The BBC reported yesterday that southern Sudan is pledging to end their highly controversial child soldier program. The United Nations' children's agency estimates that there are 900 child soldiers right now in the region.

Southern Sudan is holding an independence referendum in January. The territory wants to separate from the rest of Sudan,

Sudan's civil war ended in 2005, but tensions between the two sides remain high.

The genocide in Darfur has also been an issue of global concern in Sudan.

It's Apparently Not a Good Idea to Be Gay in Malawi

According to a "New York Times" article by Barry Bearak which ironically ran on Feb. 14, gay lovers Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga were both charged with indecency and unnatural acts after they became engaged after a traditional ceremony.

In the landlocked southeastern African nation of Malawi, homosexual acts can lead to a a prison sentence of up to five to fourteen years. Other African countires, such as Uganda and Gambia, are either proposing or have death sentences for anyone engaging in 'homosexual acts.' We thought this was only possible in places like Boones Mill, Va.

In all seriousness, Malawi is also one of the poorest countries in the world and it has a high population density. It is a popular destination for missionaires, such as Wes and Lorrie Jonat who are working ACOP Missionaires, based in Calgary, Canada.

There is also a web site promoting tourism in Malawi, which does an impressive job of touting the country's natural scenery and wildlife viewing area, including Lake Malawi, the Ntchisi Forest Reserve and Mount Mulanje.

But, negative news stories, such as these, are likely to prevent growth in the tourism sector which is unfortunate for the struggling Malawi population.

In Bereak's article, Leckford Thoto, Malawi's minister of information and civic affairs blamed outside influences: "These immoral acts are not in our culture; they are coming from outside." And, the article quoted Rev. Zacc Kawala, a local minister, as saying that westerners think that if Malawi does not accept their 'gay agenda' the country will be demeaned. He added: "But, we're not as wicked as the West."

According to "The New York Times," the trial is on-going.

Malawi has some 14 million people. The country's capital is Lilongwe and its largst city is Blantyre. Malawi's president is Binju wa Mutharika.

Amnesty International has condemned the incident, and is working with other organizations on providing a legal defense fund for the couple.