While She Sleeps, Bury Tomorrow, Thy Art Is Murder and more have had seemingly AI-generated music uploaded to streaming services, without their involvement

According to another report from Hamas front group, CAIR(Council on American Islamic Relations), the number of so-called Islamophobic incidents in Massachusetts in 2023, was higher than it’s ever been before. And as usual, CAIR, via the sharia-compliant mainstream media, is on a crusade to evoke sympathy from the public and government officials for the alleged […]

Do you ever think about the wildlife all around us? If you’ve ever ventured down a trail, you’ve likely come across quite a few of these creatures. But what are they like when we aren’t around to watch them? Luckily, trail cam footage gives us these answers. You’ll find all sorts of these videos online, but few cover a timespan as wide as nearly half a year. But that’s exactly what this person did! On social media, this person goes by Yukon Wildlife Cams. As their username implies, they post footage from trail cams in the Yukon area of Canada. Here, you’ll find all sorts of beautiful animals. This includes bears, coyotes, wolves, and more. And thanks to the time and effort of this social media user, we can see five and a half months’ worth of their adventures! See for yourself in the surprisingly short video below. Canadian Trail Cam Footage Takes Viewers on a Beautiful Journey Full of Creatures This incredible footage takes viewers on a journey through summer, spring, and fall. As a result, we catch a glimpse at a variety of adorable creatures of all sizes. It’s so fun to see the way they all take the same trail while leading entirely different lives — similar to humans! “It is actually so amazing how these different species use this same trail,” someone shares in the comment section. “These animals aren’t wandering the forest, instead, they seem to be using a series of well-worn paths to go about their day. Everyone communicates through scent and hearing. It’s a complex community.” Yukon Wildlife Cams’ social media pages are full of amazing videos like this one. Although they’re all different, they’re each shared for the same purpose, according to their bio: “My hope is simply to facilitate an appreciation of the natural world and the wildlife that call it home.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Trail Cam Footage Shows Months’ Worth Of Stunning Wildlife Sightings In Just Over 5 Minutes appeared first on InspireMore.

The post Do Cats Have Feelings? Feline Emotions Explained (Vet-Reviewed) by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Click to Skip Ahead Basic Cat Emotions & Body Language Inherited Behavior Versus Learned Responses If you ask any pet owner, they’ll emphatically say that their cats have feelings. They say their cats have expressed love and affection, and can even recognize and respond to how their caregivers are feeling. And it turns out that they’re right about their feline companions! Research supports the hypothesis that our cats experience the six basic emotions of surprise, fear, disgust, sadness, happiness, and anger. These are all the emotions we’d expect to see in a 2 ½-year-old child. There is currently a lack of scientific evidence that cats are capable of more complex secondary emotions, such as compassion, shame, jealousy, and disappointment. Let’s learn a bit more about feline feelings and emotions just below. Basic Cat Emotions and Body Language Let’s consider how cats express their emotions. Visual communication is vital for animals since it can help avoid conflict. It can signal what they are feeling, if a territory is occupied, and readiness during courtship. You can tell a lot about what your pet is feeling by observing and learning their body language. For example, a cat with their tail held high or in a question mark shape is willing to interact. Meanwhile, a feline swishing their tail back and forth is signaling their irritation. Woe to the person or animal who is the reason behind a puffed-up tail! That’s a feline that is upset and may strike if provoked. These postures are examples of the six basic emotions that pet owners probably see often. Interestingly, research has uncovered evidence of heritability of some behavioral traits that speak to emotions. One study even identified Angora and Turkish Van cats as the most aggressive among the breeds studied.1 Likewise, the scientists found sociability differences among the breeds, with the British Shorthair being the least likely to seek human contact versus the outright friendliness of the Ragdoll. Selective breeding undoubtedly plays a role since enthusiasts would invariably choose which traits to encourage. This study also found a high degree of heritability of aggression and shyness among cats. Feline emotions are even evident in their facial expressions. An ambitious team of researchers studied these features in 50 cats over the course of a year. The scientists identified 276 different facial expressions which the cats used to communicate with each other and reveal their emotions. These were made up of a mix of 26 unique facial movements.2 For comparison dogs, that we may consider highly expressive, only have around 27 facial movements, but we are generally better at interpreting them. Image Credit: Natalia Fedosova, Shutterstock Inherited Behavior Versus Learned Responses Unlike dogs, cats are very much in touch with their wild side. Domestication has only altered 13 genes during our 12,000-odd years together. Surprisingly, our feline companions share 95.6% of their DNA with the tiger!3 We can conclude that much of our cats’ behavior and associated emotions are learned responses. After all, they are intelligent animals, and they even know when you’re talking to them. Vocalizations Another inherited and learned form of communication exists through vocalizations. Science has documented 21 different vocalizations in our feline companions. That of itself lends credence to cats having feelings. They have a lot to say with all those sounds. Research has shown the profound effects of domestication on their repertoire in some unexpected ways. For example, cats learn and respond to their names even when someone unfamiliar to them says it. Research has also shown our feline companions look to us when presented with an unfamiliar object for cues about how to respond to it. The animals adjust their emotions accordingly. These findings suggest recognition of feelings and the ability to adapt to new situations. Let’s consider how it affects vocalizing. Purring Purring is one of the classic feline vocalizations. Interestingly, only small cats purr, whereas most large felines roar. The exceptions are the cheetah and cougar. A species can’t do both because of their varying anatomies. Purring serves several purposes for cats. Kittens, like human babies, are born helpless or altricial. They are entirely dependent on their mothers. Purring is a form of communication between them. Humans are likewise hardwired to respond to cries. It’s imperative for our survival. Kittens can purr shortly after they’re born, supporting this role. People are equally responsive to purring, even among non-cat owners. It’s like the baby sound we hear. Kittens do it to get their mother’s attention, so your pet may also purr to get something from you, namely food or affection. This purpose is unique to domestication. The cause and effect is that your cat wants something and has figured out what they must do to get it. That comes from experience and conditioning fortified with positive reinforcement. Your pet purrs, and you obey. Image Credit: Liz Creative Studios, Shutterstock Meowing Meowing is the quintessential feline vocalization. Children learn how cats make this sound early in their education. It seems like the sound and kitties are intertwined. However, the truth tells a different story. Cats do meow, but it’s usually communication between kittens and their mothers. It’s not something you often hear behind this life stage in feral or wild felines. Like purring, it’s another product of domestication. Our pets need to be in touch with their feelings to express themselves. The manner in which they do it speaks to their intelligence. Nevertheless, it has worked. We respond to meowing like we do purring. Every time we respond, we reinforce its effectiveness. Couple this concept with the notion that felines can read our emotions and react to us. Emotional Recognition The development of feelings has been long in the making. Research reveals that cats bond strongly with their caregivers, not unlike dogs or even children. These findings are fascinating, given the stereotypical perception of felines being aloof and unattached. The evidence speaks for itself, with name and emotion recognition. Separation anxiety is an extreme example of the bond between cats and their owners. Compelling evidence of our pets having feelings exists with research involving cat blinking and eye narrowing. Scientists know that felines use their eyes to communicate with conspecifics. Emotions run both ends of the spectrum. One study found that these gestures were associated with positive emotions between people and cats. The researchers equated it to a feline smile. You blink, and your cat responds in kind. It’s a shared moment between owner and pet that symbolizes the affection for each other on a personal level. It doesn’t get any better. Final Thoughts The evidence is clear: Cats do have feelings. Our feline companions bond with us emotionally in relationships that reinforce and nurture these feelings. You may look at your kitty differently, knowing what lies between their cat’s eyes. However, their emotions will just continue to bring us closer together as time goes on. Sources https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201607/which-emotions-do-we-see-in-dogs-and-cats https://www.researchgate.net/publication/297677398_The_Emotional_Lives_of_Companion_Animals_Attachment_and_Subjective_Claims_by_Owners_of_Cats_and_Dogs https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/canine-corner/201303/which-emotions-do-dogs-actually-experience https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5755896/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6538663/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376635723001419?via%3Dihub https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1410083111 https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms3433 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-022-01674-w https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7000907/ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40616-4 https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-98220901168-3 https://www.livescience.com/animals/cats-love-to-meow-at-humans-now-we-know-why https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/cats-children-and-dogs-develop-attachments-their-caregivers-study-shows https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-73426-0   Featured Image Credit: Mariia Romanyk, Shutterstock The post Do Cats Have Feelings? Feline Emotions Explained (Vet-Reviewed) by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

The post Do Cats Have Hair or Fur? Vet-Verified Facts & Info by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Click to Skip Ahead Function & Evolution of Hair Genetics of Hair Length Long-Haired Cats Types of Cat Hair Whiskers Having hair is one of many characteristics that distinguish mammals from other classes of animals, such as reptiles and birds. Other traits include the anatomy of our inner ears, the structure of our jaws, and the presence and function of mammary glands. You’ve probably heard and used hair and fur interchangeably, along with coat, pelt, or pelage, depending on what animal you’re discussing. From a scientific perspective, the words are the same. How we use them is more nuanced. We may speak of an animal’s “fur” or “coat” as the collective term for all the hairs on an animal. We often say “hair” when referring to the individual strands. Whatever the word, they refer to the same thing. However, cats have different types of hair with specialized functions. The Function of Hair and Its Evolution Scientists hypothesize that hair and warm-bloodedness or endothermy are linked. Nonetheless, it’s one of those which-came-first types of questions. It makes evolutionary sense why natural selection would favor hair since it keeps the animal warm. Being warm-blooded takes energy, and insulation allows the creature to conserve it. Of course, hair serves several other purposes. It provides camouflage so that cats can hunt and stalk their prey. Likewise, the mottled appearance of kittens protects the young from predators. Hair also helps a feline communicate with other animals. Think of a cat’s back hairs sticking up or their tail puffing up at the threshold of a conflict. It has a similar function for you as a pet owner. The condition of a cat’s fur can indicate the state of the animal’s physical and mental health. A dull coat or hair loss can be a red flag of anything, from a nutritional deficiency to stress to a medical condition. It’s worth noting that we’re speaking of the feline’s hair collectively. Hence, we opted for fur and coat to describe this physical feature. Image Credit: Kutikova Ekaterina, Shutterstock The Genetics of Hair Length Density and length also comes into the conversation when distinguishing between hair and fur, particularly with dogs. We might use the former to refer to the fine, long coat of an Afghan Hound and the latter when talking about the dense coat of an Alaskan Malamute. The takeaway is that genetics determines an animal’s hair length. A short-haired cat’s fur will only grow so long, for example. Short-haired is the default for our domestic cats. Scientists have identified the Near Eastern or African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) as the likely ancestor of our pets.1 These animals live in various habitats on the continent’s grasslands and scrubland. Being long-haired would be a hindrance since it could get matted quicker and hamper their survival and reproductive success. Long-Haired Cats Researchers have four genetic mutations that make cats long-haired. They identified the oldest in the Turkish Angora. The three others are associated with specific breeds: the Ragdoll, Maine Coon, and Norwegian Forest Cat. Being long-haired is a recessive trait. That means a kitten must inherit this copy or allele of the gene from both parents to express it visually. A mitigating factor in all these variants is the role of domestication and selective breeding. Enthusiasts made being long-haired fixed in these felines by breeding animals with the desired traits. One could also argue that this characteristic is necessary for survival in the case of Nordic breeds. It’s not unheard of in wild felines, with the snow leopard (Uncia uncia) being a classic example. Fur would probably be a more accurate description of the animal’s thick, long coats necessary to tolerate the extreme weather conditions of the mountains of Central Asia. It’s often helpful to distinguish its physical features when discussing whether cats have hair or fur. This species makes a solid case for using the latter term. Image Credit: nikkytok, Shutterstock Types of Cat Hair We can find other incidents where using hair or fur might be more appropriate. Let’s consider the types of hair that most cats have. Guard hairs are the ones that give your pet their color and are the ones you stroke when interacting with your kitty. Their length is relatively long, depending on the breed. These coarse hairs are a protective outer coat, acting as a water-repellent barrier and helping shield a cat’s skin from other environmental elements. Awn hairs are the next layer. It’s shorter than the top one. It’s multi-functional, helping insulate and protect. The down hairs are next and closest to the animal’s skin. Its purpose is in its name—to keep the feline warm, not unlike the comforter you put on your bed. Multiple layers leave space for air for additional insulation. You are free to use this image but we do require you to link back to catster.com for credit Whiskers The most specialized of a cat’s hairs are their whiskers. They exist on the animal’s face, above the eyes, and on their legs. They serve a sensory function with their terminal connection to nerves. They help your kitty navigate their world, even in the dark. They provide much information about the environment and surroundings that a cat needs to hunt and survive life’s challenges. No one would refer to a cat’s whiskers as fur. It’s one case where we can definitively say they are hairs, although many may not know what they are. After all, they differ from what we think of as hairs. They are long and stiff. Their sensory function is evident if you try to touch them. Even the most docile pet will likely object to this contact. Image Credit: Oleksandr Volchanskyi, Shutterstock Final Thoughts The difference between hairs and fur is a matter of degrees. While the two words mean the same thing, we often differentiate the two by density. The former are the individual strands, while the latter refers to the overall collection of them. That’s a colloquial distinction but useful in many contexts. However, whiskers are one example of specialized hairs where this terminology is appropriate. Sources https://www.britannica.com/animal/mammal https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-difference-be/ https://www.vetinfo.com/difference-cat-fur-cat-hair.html https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.1139518 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3756544/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34599367/ https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/patterns/ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Uncia_uncia/   Featured Image Credit: Light Hound Pictures, Shutterstock The post Do Cats Have Hair or Fur? Vet-Verified Facts & Info by Chris Dinesen Rogers appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren't considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

On Sunday afternoon, CNN ran a full report to promote the Biden administration's Inflation Reduction Act by highlighting religious organizations that have used the law to help purchase solar panels. Church-state separation can go away for "climate action." Fill-in host Paula Reid set up the report: The Biden White House allocated $370 billion to clean energy and climate two years ago with the Inflation Reduction Act. Since then, more than 750,000 families have used the new tax benefits to put up solar panels. But one of the groups might surprise you. CNN's Elisa Raffa spoke with faith leaders uniting in climate action. In a pre-recorded piece, CNN weather reporter Elisa Raffa began by highlighting the case of Dr. Neha Pathak, a practicing Hindu who became interested in fighting climate change after blaming it for some of her patients' problems: ELISA RAFFA: After noticing more of her patients dealing with the impacts of longer allergy seasons, more extreme heat, and increasing air, pollution Dr. Neha Pathak's search for prescriptions took her down a seemingly unconventional path. Dr. NEHA PATHAK, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN: It can have a big impact on your own personal resilience. So I really looked to my faith tradition to help bolster that resilience for me. A bit later, she was seen speaking with a rabbi who talked up using solar panels to avoid using fossil fuels: RAFFA: What are the benefits to your congregation getting solar panels? RABBI LAURENCE ROSENTHAL, AHAVATH ACHIM SYNAGOGUE: Well, you take yourself off the grid, so we're not continuing to burn coal. The other piece of it is to, in the long term, to lower some of the electrical costs that we have. Raffa then highlighted the Biden administration's actions: The Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant climate legislation Congress has ever passed, making religious institutions eligible for direct-pay rebates for the first time -- 117 panels generate 440 watts of energy, offsetting 26 percent of the electricity at this church's campus. That's something that's becoming more common thanks to recent funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar is the fastest growing renewable energy source, up nearly eightfold in the past decade. One forecast shows the Inflation Reduction Act will lead to a 48 percent boost in solar deployment in the next 10 years. Toward the end of the piece, the CNN reporter promoted soundbites arguing that religious leaders are obligated to support the left's environmental agenda: Dr. PATHAK: We have the science, we understand why this is happening, and now this faith piece is the reverence for the world around us -- the moral call to do the work that aligns with the science. RAFFA: Why are you as a rabbi so passionate about these environmental issues? RABBI ROSENTHAL: If I ignore the environmental crisis that we are continuing to wade through, then I'm not taking that charge seriously. I'm not caring for other human beings. RAFFA: The crossroads here between climate, religion and politics just working so well... The report did not take the time to delve into any of the arguments that solar power is not necessarily the magic bullet that liberals like to promote it as. Transcript follows: CNN Newsroom August 25, 2024 7:49 p.m. Eastern PAULA REID: The Biden White House allocated $370 billion to clean energy and climate two years ago with the Inflation Reduction Act. Since then, more than 750,000 families have used the new tax benefits to put up solar panels. But one of the groups might surprise you. CNN's Elisa Raffa spoke with faith leaders uniting in climate action. ELISA RAFFA: After noticing more of her patients dealing with the impacts of longer allergy seasons, more extreme heat, and increasing air, pollution Dr. Neha Pathak's search for prescriptions took her down a seemingly unconventional path. Dr. NEHA PATHAK, PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN: It can have a big impact on your own personal resilience. So I really looked to my faith tradition to help bolster that resilience for me. RAFFA: Through that search, this physician in practicing Hindu found herself serving as a board member for Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. Her work towards climate and spiritual solutions is more connected than you might think. Dr. PATHAK: So the first thing we do when we wake up, one of our prayers is to thank Mother Earth for allowing us to step on her all day long. When we take our first bite of food for the day, we thank Mother Earth for providing us this food. RAFFA: As the board chair, Rabbi Laurence Rosenthal points out the Bible has been talking about extreme weather for thousands of years with examples like Noah's Ark, plagues, and famine. RABBI LAURENCE ROSENTHAL, AHAVATH ACHIM SYNAGOGUE: When you read the book of Psalms, it does talk about the thunder and the lightning and the wind and the storms and the sea and all that it's contained, and it really focuses on experiencing God through the environment. RAFFA: So while solar panels on the roof of this church which may seem like an unlikely intersection between climate, religion and politics, it's actually shining. What are the benefits to your congregation getting solar panels? RABBI ROSENTHAL: Well, you take yourself off the grid, so we're not continuing to burn coal. The other piece of it is to, in the long term, to lower some of the electrical costs that we have. RAFFA: The Inflation Reduction Act is the most significant climate legislation Congress has ever passed, making religious institutions eligible for direct pay rebates for the first time -- 117 panels generate 440 watts of energy, offsetting 26 percent of the electricity at this church's campus. That's something that's becoming more common thanks to recent funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. Solar is the fastest growing renewable energy source, up nearly eightfold in the past decade. One forecast shows the Inflation Reduction Act will lead to a 48 percent boost in solar deployment in the next 10 years. In the two years since the new rebates, Georgia Interfaith Power and Light says it has seen a 50 percent increase in faith communities enrolling in their Solar Wise program. When it comes to the climate crisis, these faith leaders agree. The calling is clear. Dr. PATHAK: We have the science, we understand why this is happening, and now this faith piece is the reverence for the world around us -- the moral call to do the work that aligns with the science. RAFFA: Why are you as a rabbi so passionate about these environmental issues? RABBI ROSENTHAL: If I ignore the environmental crisis that we are continuing to wade through, then I'm not taking that charge seriously. I'm not caring for other human beings. RAFFA: The crossroads here between climate, religion and politics just working so well, and, historically, we don't really find that that's the case like for topics like evolution and abortion where that gets a little bit more complicated. Now, the White House noticed that these religious organizations are really taking on the charge of climate action. John Podesta, senior advisor to Biden on this topic, telling CNN last week that these groups "have been active voices in the climate debate. They're on the front lines of dealing with the effects of extreme weather because they are the ones that are in the disadvantaged communities." And, again, it's not just one religion. We're seeing multiple religions come together and show us that we are much more similar than we might think. Paula?

Another bronze rostrum from the 3rd century B.C., the 27th since underwater excavations began 20 years ago, has been found in the waters of the Aegadian Islands in western Sicily. The vicious ramming beak was mounted to the bow of a Roman warship that fought in the 241 B.C Battle of the Aegates, the last naval battle of the First Punic War. The rostrum was first spotted on the seabed at a depth of 260 feet by the research vessel Hercules. The deepwater submarine of the Society for Documentation of Submerged Sites (SDSS) then explored the site and confirmed that the object was indeed a rostrum. It was raised and transferred to a laboratory for examination and conservation by archaeologists of the Superintendency of the Sea of the Region of Sicily. The new rostrum shows similarities to others found in previous campaigns, with a relief decoration on the front representing a Montefortino helmet with three feathers on top. However, the marine encrustations covering it still prevent the verification of any inscriptions. The Battle of the Aegates (aka Egadi Islands) saw a fleet of 200 Roman ships arrayed against 100 Carthaginian ships (many of them previously captured from Rome). The Roman navy won a decisive victory that led to Carthage’s surrender and the end of the war. The large number of ships in the comparatively small field explains the extraordinary concentration of rostra have been found in the waters of the Aegatean archipelago. Before the explorations at Aegates began, the number of rostra found could be counted on the fingers of one hand.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]And that could cause a rise in the right wing populist movement to stop or significantly curtail Muslim immigration to the UK and Europe as well as mass deportations…

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is facing a powerful defamation lawsuit arising from false claims he made about a Republican election volunteer in his 2021 book “Integrity Counts.” He…

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