To all of my blog followers may you all have a blessed Christmas and a joyous New Year 2012.

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"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."- Roy L. Smith

Press Release: Pro-Zuma Supporters Physically Attack Civil Society at Durban Townhall Meeting on Climate Change

President Zuma watches as Supporters Assault Peaceful Demonstrators
Twenty minutes ago and in a meeting designed for engagement between President Zuma and communities & civil society, violence broke out when peaceful civil society demonstrators silently held up signs asking “Zuma to stand with Africa”. Pro-Zuma supporters, many wearing the uniforms of COP17 volunteers then attacked the demonstrators in an act of mob violence.
Demonstrators were roughed up and some had to flee the hall.
While all of this went on, President Zuma sat up on the podium and remained quiet. Furthermore, it took nearly ten minutes before police entered the hall to restore order.
Siziwe Khanyile of groundWork states, “This was our event, organised to communicate with President Zuma. We were then abused, kicked out, robbed, and manhandled by Zuma supporters disguised as COP17 volunteers.”
Tristen Taylor of Earthlife Africa Jhb states, “This was a terrible display of mob violence that aim to suppress the democratic rights of citizens of this country. It happened in front of the President of this country, and disgraces this country in front of the eyes of the world at time when we should be solving the problem of climate change.”

source:www.earthlife.org.za

C17 Civil Society Committee for COP17

In January 2011, a civil society committee (C17) was established to coordinate civil society activities during the COP.

C17 intends to establish an alternative civil society space (The People's Space) to serve as an open and inclusive civil society venue providing the base for organisations to network and define their own responses to COP17. This gun-free zone, promoting non-violence, provides a secure venue in which people's rights to free speech and assembly are sacrosanct.

The People's Space provides an autonomous location in which civil society can meet, organise and socialise. Participating organisations can decide their own agendas and plan their own events including:

• Seminars, workshops, conferences and discussions;
• Organisational or movement caucuses;
• Music and entertainment;
• High profile public events;
• Mobilisation rallies.

Participants are invited to bring their issue/event to Durban and use the space as an opportunity to build solidarity and a movement that will lead us into the next phase of the climate justice struggle.

When will The People's Space be available?

The People's Space is being planned for 26 November to 12 December, 2011, and is intended to host a wide range of national and international civil society events. Civil society representatives at COP17 are likely to arrive during the weekend of 25-27 November 2011 with a significant peak around the Global Day of Action from 2 to 4 December 2011. It is likely that teach-ins, public events and entertainment will peak during the second week of the COP

COP17: Working Together,Saving Tomorrow Today

The 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 7th Session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol, will be held in the sunny city of Durban, South Africa, from the 28 November to the 9 of December 2011.

Global Day of Action

The Global Day of Action (GDA) is a traditional and important event at UNFCCC COPs. The primary action is a mass march of international and national community, labour, women, youth, academic, religious and environmental organisations and activists. It demonstrates civil society's common determination to address climate change.

Volunteers Needed

C17 is calling on participating organisations to provide volunteers for the Global Day of Action. The event will require marshalls, security personnel, medical practitioners (doctors and nurses), float builders, puppeteers, artists, performers, musicians and cultural activists. Volunteers will be organised, trained and coordinated well in advance of the march.

You can register to volunteer at :

http://www.c17.org.za/global-day-of-action/volunteer.html

Extreme

The longest animal living and ever lived, is said to be the bootlace worm or ribbon worm Lineus longissimus, it reaches lengths of 60m. Its almost twice as long as a blue whale. The bootlace worm, can be found along the coast of Britain.

Creature of the month: Hawaiian honeycreeper

Hawaiian honeycreepers are small passerine birds endemic to Hawaii.

The male Hawaiian honeycreepers are more brightly coloured than the females in the Psittirostrini, but in the Hemignathini, they often look very similar. The flowers of the native ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) are favoured by a number of nectarivorous honeycreepers. Many species of this subfamily have been noted to have a plumage odor that has been termed the Drepanidine odor and suspected to have a role in making the bird distasteful to predators.

The wide range of bills in this group, from thick finch-like bills to slender downcurved bills for probing flowers have arisen through adaptive radiation, where an ancestral finch has evolved to fill a large number of ecological niches. Some 20 species of Hawaiian honeycreeper have become extinct in the recent past, and many more in earlier times, between the arrival of arrival of the Polynesians who introduced the firstrats, chickens, pigs, dogs, and hunted and converted habitat for agriculture.

References: http://en.wikipedia.org

Gadget of the month: Muvi Atom Sport Camcorder

Muvi Atom sport camcorder - Extreme size for extreme sports!

The Muvi Atom camera is a mere 4 cm tall and can record movies at a resolution of 640 x 480. The kick is that included with the Atom are numerous sports mounts, including straps and mounts to easily fit the device to a mountain bike’s handlebars or your helmet for instance. The Atom can also capture still photographs via its two megapixel snapper, which considering its size, is fair.

The Muvi Atom comes with a 2 GB Micro SD card included in the box, enabling users to record up to 48 minutes of footage. Alternatively, they can opt for an 8 GB Micro SD card, boosting the recording time to more than three hours. Users then simply connect the device to their PCs via USB, in order to review and save their images and video.

Available from The G.A.D.G.E.T. Shop on 012-346-2726 or 011-792-4912 for R1199.

Source: http://www.techsmart.co.za

Wallpaper of the month...

Track of da Month: DJ Komori Ft. Cassie Sound of Love

For those of you anticipating Cassie’s official return single “King Of Hearts,” or even if you are not at all, here is something to hold you over or give an honest listen to. The full version of the model/singer’s collaboration with Japan’s DJ Komori. A poppy, uptempo house jam entitled “Sound of Love,” which finds Cassie showing her newfound talent for dance records, and actually has some appeal.

sources: http://www.thisisrnb.com/2011/09/new-music-dj-komori-feat-cassie-sound-of-love/

Oops-Blogger Blog Takedown Notification

According to the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA),certain content in delwynunderground.blogspot.com have alleged to infringe upon the copyrights of others.

A bit of background: the DMCA is a United States copyright law that provides guidelines for online service provider liability in case of copyright infringement.

Repeated violations to our Terms of Service may result in further remedial action taken against your Blogger account including deleting your blog and/or terminating your account. If you have legal questions about this notification, you should retain your own legal counsel.

delwynunderground is sincerely sorry for any copyright infringement but I do wish to know who's copyright I infringed upon :(

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"Iron rusts from disuse; water loses its purity from stagnation. Even so does inaction sap the vigour of the mind" -Leonardo da Vinci

The limited edition Citroen DS3 Racing

Following on from Fiat’s special edition 500 150th edition, Citroen bring us the DS3 Racing, another special edition to get your heart pumping. As far as limited editions go, the Citroen DS3 Racing is particularly limited, with only 1000 units being produced and of that only 10 will be available in South Africa.

The DS3 Racing is based on the top of the range DS3 Sport THP 150 and has been modified and developed by the Citroen Racing Team. The sporty engine is a 1.6 litre 4-cylinder THP (high pressure turbo) petrol. It develops 152 kW (207 hp) which is almost 30% more than the standard unit. This allows it to complete 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds with a maximum speed of 235km/h.

Also on the list of changes; the powertrain’s components have been modified and optimized, the turbo has been tuned for performance and the engine control unit has been re-mapped. Also a special tail-pipe and muffler have been added. The steering has been made more precise, the suspension has been stiffened, front and rear shock-absorbers have been fitted to deal with the increased power and the front and rear tracks have been widened. Lastly, the DS3 Racing has been lowered by 15mm, something of a prerequisite when it comes to sporty cars.

Looks-wise, the car has a sporty carbon finish along with chrome door handles and exhaust pipe. The body trim has also been lowered and now sits on large 18 inch alloy wheels. The interior continues the same theme, with carbon trim on the dashboard, centre console, steering wheel embellisher, armrests and door side mouldings. The sport seats contain orange elements and are embossed with “Citroen Racing”.

The limited Citroen Racing Edition is going for R399 900.

http://www.cars.co.za/motoring_news/The_limited_edition_Citroen_DS3_Racing/510/

delwynunderground: Top 10 Rarest Animals

In our ever expanding society increasing pollution, torn downforests, and changing terrain are causing serious problems with the environment. But it isn’t just out Ozone that is suffering, and as the years pass more and more animals are being put on the endangered species list, just a few hundred (and sometimes less) away from being completely extinct.

Here is a list of the top 10 rarest animals in the world, and some of them you may have never heard of.

10. Tarsiers

Tarsiers are found only in the islands of Southeast Asia. Since Southeast Asia encompasses a wide range of islands – Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and more, that might not seem like these little guys are so rare. When you think about the fact that they used to live in many more regions, it sort of puts in in perspective. They mostly live in Borneo. These little primates are only 4-6 inches tall, but their hind legs are twice the length of their torso. Additionally, their eyes are each the size of their brains. What else makes these adorable little primates so rare? They are the only primates who are completely carnivorous – insectivorous to be exact. They stalk bugs and jump at them. They also eat small animals like birds, bats, lizards, and snakes. Tarsiers are considered Critically Endangered and will likely be on that list for some time. They are, thus far, impossible to breed in captivity.

9. The Red Wolf – Located in the southeastern United States regions, the red wolf is one of the smaller wolf species of the US. After a dramatic decrease to only 30 living Red Wolves, conservation efforts across the country were funded in earnest, and 200 were bred in captivity. Today, just over a hundred live, giving hope that they will be saved.

8. Okapi- Is it a giraffe? Is it a zebra? Is it a ziraffe? A gebra? It’s an Okapi! Ever heard of it? Apparently, the Okapi’s history reaches back to ancient Egypt, where carvings have since been found. In Europe and Africa, prior to the 20th century, there existed legends of an “African unicorn.” Today, that animal is thought to be the Okapi. In 1887, Henry Morton Stanley reported on a type of donkey in the Congo named an “Atti.” Today, THAT animal is thought to be the Okapi as well. Scientists, zoologists, and scholars know a lot more about the animal today. For instance, the fact that it is related to the giraffe, despite it’s zebra-like markings, and the fact that the species Okapia johnstoni is considered a “living fossil,” a creature who seems to be the same species as it’s ancient fossils and has no close living relatives (I guess the giraffe is a VERY distant cousin). There are about 10,000-20,000 alive in the wild, but since this dude is sooooo vintage, he goes on the list.

7. Sao Tome Shrew- The Sao Tome Shrew is on the Critically Endangered list because not only are there few left, their habitat is progressively declining. The population continues to decrease, making these animals rare. Found only Sao Tome Island, a small island that is actually a shield volcano that rises out of the Atlantic Ocean. These little shrews are only about 3 inches long, and have white teeth (other than the standard yellow) and light bellies.

6. The Iberian Lynx- This tiny wildcat lives in the Andalusia region of Spain’s Iberian Peninsula. After it was found to have been killed down to just under 100 in 2001, the Spanish government began funding a mass conservation effort to save the species. The first three cubs born in captivity were announced in 2005, and from there success in further breeding has raised hopes that all is not lost for the Lynx.

5.The Dwarf Water Buffalo – This bovine indigenous to the Philippines has seen a shocking reduction in the last hundred years. In the early 1900′s there was an estimated 10,000 alive in the region of Mindoro, and yet in 2002 they had found there to be somewhere between 50 – 200 alive. Illegal poaching still continues as the species dies out.

4.The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat – Located in Australia in the more tropical areas of the continent, the Hairy-nosed Wombat’s habitat has been decreasing, and so with it has it’s numbers. With less then 100 counted in the most recent environmental studies, massive funding by the local government has led to a huge conservation effort.

3.The Hispid Hare – Being one of the only hares of it’s kind, the Hispid is a rabbit covered in bristly fur that lives in the Himalayan foothills around Nepal. There are now well under 100 in existence, and the numbers are continuing to decrease, even as conservationists attempt to breed them in captivity, an action that has so far proven unsuccessful.

2. The Javan Rhino – The Javan isn’t the only species of Rhino that is quickly dying out, but it is the one that has the fastest reducing numbers, with less then 60 remaining in their native habitats across Indonesia and Vietnam.

1.The Pinta Island Tortoise – This hard shelled turtle is more then just rare, he is unique. Being the only one remaining alive, he remains the sole survivor of the even diminishing species of Great Galapagos tortoises. Researchers are so desperate to find a female of the species that they are offering $10,000 to anyone who comes forward to offer a chance at saving the Pinta Island tortoise.

Sources:http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-rare-animals.php

http://www.journeyetc.com/the-globe/top-10-worlds-rarest-animals/

Creature of the month: The Markhor

The Markhor (Capra falconeri) is a large species of wild goat that is found in northeastern Afghanistan, Pakistan (Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza-Nagar Valley, northern and central Pakistan, and some parts of Jammu and Kashmir), India, southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan. The species is classed by the IUCN as Endangered, as there are fewer than 2,500 mature individuals which continued to decline by an estimated 20% over 2 generations. The Markhor is the National Animal of Pakistan.The colloquial name is thought by some to be derived from the Persian word mar, meaning snake, and khor, meaning "eater", which is sometimes interpreted to either represent the species' ability to kill snakes, or as a reference to its corkscrewing horns, which are somewhat reminiscent of coiling snakes. As the folklore goes, Markhor has the ability to kill a snake and eat it. Thereafter while chewing the cud, a foam like substance comes out of its mouth which drops on ground and dries. This foam like substance is sought after by the local people who believe it is useful in extracting snake poison from snake bitten wounds.

Markhor stand 65 to 115 centimetres (26 to 45 in)

at the shoulder, 132 to 186 centimetres (52 to 73 in) in length and weigh from 32 to 110 kilograms (71 to 240 lb). The mating season takes place in winter, during

which, the males fight each other by lunging, locking horns and attempt to push each other off balance. The gestation period lasts 135–170 days, and usually result in the birth of one or two kids, though rarely three. Markhor live in flocks, usually numbering nine animals, composed of adult females and their young. Adult males are largely solitary. Their alarm call closely resembles the bleating of domestic goats. Early in the season the males and females may be found together on the open grassy patches and clear slopes among the forest. During the summer, the males remain in the forest, while the females generally climb to the highest rocky ridges above.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has classified the Markhor as an endangered species, meaning it is in danger of facing extinction in the near future if conservation efforts are not maintained. Numbers between 2,000 and 4,000 exist in the wild.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markhor

Gadget of the month: Kingston DataTraveler 310

The King of memory sticks:

The Kingston DataTraveler 310, is the king of all memory sticks- with a whopping 256GB! But at R7 550 it might just be a tad expensive. Just don't lose it!!

Wallpaper of the month

Green Politics-Part 1

Put a stop on monoculture (Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing one single crop over a wide area) and support local biodiversity resources.

Support local food systems by encourage growing multiple species and a wide variety of crops at the same time and same place. Encourage and support the rights of local communities to shape their food systems, exercising democratic control over matters of health, safety, and welfare.

Our current intensive food systems and associated policies favor big business while directly contradicting communities and local governments promoting food systems that enhance biodiversity, community health, food security, ecosystem health, and local economics.

Say no to GM crops and support local crops that are already adapt to their natural environment which in turn support local biodiversity.