October 4, 2005
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Web Surf
A new African Webcam in Botswana lets you enjoy the thrill of a safari without ever leaving you computer. Pete’s Pond is home to every animal from elephants to wildebeests.
In 1985, Pete Laroux, a South African, came to Botswana to conduct leopard research for the University of Peoria. He wanted to build a safe haven for wildlife from poachers who constantly attacked prey along the Limpopo River. He constructed a large pond on the Northern Tuli Game Preserve, hoping animals would use it instead of the river. They did, and today Pete’s Pond has become almost too successful, with elephants on the verge of overpopulation. A larger preserve is now being planned which would give the animals more space. Until that move happens, however, National Geographic has installed a Wild Webcam at the pond. So if you’re bored at work or can’t afford an African safari vacation and you have a considerable amount of patience, you can be on the look out for everything from elephants to wildebeests at Pete’s Pond. The best viewing times, apparently, are from 8 a.m. to noon Botswana time and again at 4 p.m.
DPA
Elephants are just one species of many you can find at Pete’s Pond. The key is patience.
Mad about the Metro
Underground railways, or subways, are one of the many things the world’s cities have in common. Ever since the construction of the world’s first subway tunnel in New York’s Brooklyn borough in 1850, subway trains have become an integral part of urban life, bringing people to school, work and to play. The concept of subways, undergrounds or metros remains the same in each city, but the design of the trains and their stations varies widely. In many cases, they are showcases for a city’s distinct architectural style. The Metro Bits Web site gives us an inside view of subway stations around the world, from Berlin to Tashkent. It also provides a collection of metro logos and snapshots from the world’s most spectacular subway scenery.
Hello? This is Brian Wilson. Yeah, the Guy from the Beach Boys.
Brian Wilson may have knocked his own credibility slightly at Live8 in Berlin by saying the immortal words “it’s great we are gathered together for poverty and all that stuff,” but at least he is putting his money where his mouth is. On his Web site he has pledged to match any donation of $100 or more to victims of Hurricane Katrina. And, as a special treat, he has offered to personally phone up every C-note donor. “What I really want for Christmas …” the singer writes on his homepage, cannily mirroring the title of his up-coming album (available for pre-order next to the charity pledge), is ” for all of you to donate, donate, donate.”
