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Geez... you click on a thread you think's gonna be about water polo...

COP APPREHENDS FUGITIVE WHO WAS ON THE LAMB A cop stationed on a Brooklyn highway to give out tickets Wednesday morning has become a hero after rescuing a wayward lamb found roaming the Gowanus Expressway. Officer Dominick Gatto from highway patrol was manning the high occupancy vehicle lane during rush hour when a motorist told him a goat was on the loose. The animal was first spotted about 9:15 a.m. trotting along the eastbound lanes of the Brooklyn highway near 38th Street and made it all the way to 50th Street, where Gatto was stationed. The lamb is believed to have escaped from one of the nearby slaughterhouses in Sunset Park and was trying not to become dinner. Gatto and Lt. Sherif Nassef came to the rescue, chasing down the fearless animal before throwing him in the back of their car when The Post caught up with the trio. The lucky lamb was transported to an animal rescue on Staten Island, where he will presumably live out the rest of his days in greener pastures. This is not the first time barnyard animals have terrorized New York’s streets. The N train in Borough Park had to be temporarily suspended last August when two goats were found roaming the train line and enjoying a nice grass lunch. It’s believed they’d also escaped the slaughterhouse. Cops managed to nab the duo after a two-hour operation and the pair were transported to Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit shelter for farm animals located in Watkins Glen. Former “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart, who sits on the board of Farm Sanctuary, was personally on hand to transport the kids.

The new slogan is not exactly a “wish you were here.” An unofficial tourism catchphrase that has been used to draw attention to Australia’s Northern Territory is facing a lot of backlash – and a potential ban in the region – for its use of suggestive wording. NT Unofficial created the cheeky expression, which out loud reads, “See you in the NT (Northern Territory),” but on paper, has been shortened to look like an offensive derogatory four-letter term for women. The company began selling the swear-word adjacent slogan printed on shirts and other merchandise at stores throughout the area in 2016 and claims it never had an issue. “Our official stockist at Mindil markets has been selling for years without any issue,” the company told the NT News in a statement. “We just hope that council doesn’t forget the real NT Unofficial has been tirelessly campaigning to promote the Territory to the world. “There’s nothing insulting or degrading to women about a simple invitation to the greatest territory on earth.” However, the official Darwin Council, which can enforce laws which prohibit offensive materials from being sold in stores at the marketplace, said they have fielded many complaints over the years and met this week to discuss a potential ban for the “offensive” phrase. “The complaints are about this merchandise that [has] been on display near the playgrounds… children are saying ‘what does this mean’ and it’s not something parents want to have to explain.” said Darwin Council official Robin Knox, the NT News reported. “In common usage this word is not a joke, it is used very negatively and as a slur against women.” Locals have been split on the matter, with many firing back on Facebook, slamming the company’s materials. “Feel like there is a design flaw here,” one wrote. “Do you need to stoop this low to advertise your Territory!!! NO !!!! TAKE IT OFF FACEBOOK !” another wrote. “But walking to the shops with his own kids, maybe they wouldn’t question it, but I think it’s pretty poor taste. I reckon the Territory should grow up a little bit,” a local man told NT News. But there have been many staunch supporters of the bold slogan. “It’s one of the most creative and intelligent things I’ve ever heard,” another local, Ross, said. “Snowflakes melt in the heat.” “As a born n bred Darwinite I [wholeheartedly] approve and embrace NTunofficial and their merchandise,” a Facebook user wrote, signing the message, “Caring understanding northern Territorian.” Local businesses have also reportedly supported the merchandise, stating the popularity of the items have helped them stay open. “It’s prevented us from laying off staff,” shop owner Tracey Wedel told 9News. “Prior to receiving this stock, we were struggling in a major way.” An Ohio salon owner thinks she hit the nail on the head with her business name — even though some residents don’t agree. Dawn Moon, owner of Hand Jobs Nails & Spa, in Perkins Township, believes the name is good branding. “You don’t want something that they can’t remember or that they can’t pronounce or say,” Moon told ABC. “In less than a week, I think the whole country knows about us. You can’t pay for that kind of advertising.” It’s also literally what the spa does. “If you go in and get your nose done, it’s called a nose job, right? Well, you come in and get your hands done, it’s a hand job!” Moon added. Krystle, an employee at the salon, told The Post the cheeky name has been getting “mostly compliments” from patrons who’ve come in since the salon opened this week. Others “crack jokes,” she said. But not everyone is laughing. Perkins Township Zoning Director Megan Sherlund said she’s gotten complaints about the sign’s suggestive nature. Signs should not be “indecent or obscene in nature,” Sherlund told ABC. “We have no stance on it other than we have to take into consideration the entire feel and community of Perkins Township.” A decision on whether the sign passes zoning restrictions is due later this week. If it doesn’t, one worker vowed to fight for the name. “If they reject it, then we’ll appeal it and then we’ll go to court,” Krystle said. “But the name of the salon will not change.” A statue commemorating a World War II veteran in North Carolina has been vandalized in what is suspected to have been a case of mistaken identity. The statue of General William C. Lee, described as “Father of the Airborne,” was covered in an accelerant and set on fire in Dunn earlier this month. Rather than being an orchestrated attack against the military figure, officials at the Major General William C. Lee Airborne Museum, where the statue is based, believed the “jerk punk” vandals set the marble statue on fire believing it was commemorating General Robert E. Lee. The museum’s curator, Mark Johnson, said whoever was responsible must have thought they were targeting a confederate statue as he considered it “unbelievable” that anyone would want to set fire to a statue of the hometown hero. “I think that’s probably it,” Johnson told The Daily Record. “So just an alert to people who may be thinking about such things, this is the wrong general.” Speaking to WNCN, Johnson said he has been studying William Lee’s life and there is no common connection between the two generals, adding that the Dunn veteran was not racist. “When he was in World War II he’s considered the father of the airborne which there were plenty of black paratroopers, a very diverse outfit.” “Complete different generation, complete different war, complete different everything,” Johnson told The Daily Record. “Everything is different.” The museum shared pictures of the burnt statue on Facebook on February 15. “The United States owes so much to our military forces and all five military branches are what has kept this country safe and free for all these years,” the museum wrote in a caption alongside the pictures. “The U.S. Army Airborne soldier is highly respected worldwide. Then comes along some jerk punk(s) and he tries to burn the statue of WWII Major General William C. Lee. “It scorched the statue mostly on the left side. You can see the burn marks in the marble where the jerk placed the remainder of the fuel container on the platform. The cleaning and repair possibilities process will begin soon.” Dunn Police said they are investigating the incident but have not come up with any suspects yet. The museum said nearby surveillance cameras will be reviewed in a bid to catch the perpetrator. The states of North and South Carolina have frequently ignited debate regarding confederate monuments in the wake of the mass shooting of a black church in Charlestown by white supremacist Dylann Roof. In August 2018, a bronze statue of Confederate soldier Silent Sam was toppled at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The statue, which has since been completely removed from the grounds, was erected in 1913 to pay tribute to those who died fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Blind creature that buries head in sand named after Donald Trump Amphibian’s behavior compared to president’s approach to global warming A newly discovered blind and burrowing amphibian is to be officially named Dermophis donaldtrumpi, in recognition of the US president’s climate change denial. The name was chosen by the boss of EnviroBuild, a sustainable building materials company, who paid $25,000 (£19,800) at an auction for the right. The small legless creature was found in Panama and EnviroBuild’s Aidan Bell said its ability to bury its head in the ground matched Donald Trump’s approach to global warming. Trump’s distinctive hair has already led to comparisons to a poisonous furry caterpillar and a golden-plumed pheasant, while a yellow-crowned moth was called Neopalpa donaldtrumpi in 2017. The newly discovered creature is a caecilian and its naming rights were auctioned to raise money for the Rainforest Trust. The scientists who found the 10cm amphibian have agreed to use the name Dermophis donaldtrumpi when they officially publish the discovery in scientific literature. Bell said: “It is the perfect name. Caecilian is taken from the Latin caecus, meaning ‘blind’, perfectly mirroring the strategic vision President Trump has consistently shown towards climate change.” As an amphibian, the shiny animal is particularly susceptible to the impacts of global warming and is therefore in danger of becoming extinct as a result of its namesake’s climate policies, the Rainforest Trust said. Police Arrested A Man Named Sober For Being Not Sober It’s not uncommon for people to be arrested while wearing an ironic T-shirt (like this guy), but what about having an ironic name? That’s what happened on Saturday in Butler County, Pennsylvania, when police pulled over a suspected drunken driver named Daniel Sober. Court documents said he told officers he had just dropped off his girlfriend so she could check on her son. Officers said they smelled alcohol on Sober, 44, and gave him a portable breath test. Spoiler alert: Sober wasn’t sober. His blood-alcohol level registered .194 ― more than twice the legal limit for drivers. He was charged with drunken driving and careless driving and was later released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on March 20.

AT 20:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abF8U_5-VeA

The NYPD blocked off parking spaces in upper Manhattan and “relocated” about 30 civilian cars for what Police Commissioner James O’Neill called a “special event” — the department’s annual flag-football championship game. O’Neill defended the move amid criticism from outraged Inwood residents — and even a member of Mayor de Blasio’s administration — who accused the NYPD of abusing its power by towing the vehicles to free up the spots. “This is a special event. This was the flag football championship,” O’Neill said during an unrelated news conference at One Police Plaza. “There were cars that — they were relocated. Nobody was towed. Nobody got a ticket.” O’Neill also said motorists were warned there would be no parking on Sunday outside the Columbia University sports complex, through signs that he said were posted five days earlier. “Special events go on throughout this city. This is something that the Commissioner’s Football League has every year,” he said. The “relocated” vehicles were towed away and parked on the street at “various locations in the vicinity,” NYPD spokeswoman Sgt. Jessica McCrorie said. “People could find out the location of their vehicles if they spoke to officers in the area, called 311 or contacted the precinct,” she added. The tow jobs took place just hours before the winter storm that closed city schools on Monday, and little more than a week after de Blasio announced a new crackdown on abuse of government-issued parking placards. Inwood resident David Thom, 44, said he shot photos of about 20 cars with NYPD placards on their dashboards that were parked near the stadium. One dashboard also displayed a hand-written note that said “NYPD FOOTBALL PLAYER INSIDE,” while another just had a note that said “On Police Commissioner’s Flag Football team,” along with a phone number. “I was greatly annoyed by this. Inwood has an ongoing parking issue. The NYPD took up four blocks,” said Thom, an engineer. “That’s a real abuse of the streets and power by the police.” A de Blasio administration official said there’s no law or regulation that allows parking spots to be blocked off for private use, saying: “Parking is first-come, first-served — this is New York.” “They’re clearly abusing their power because no one else enforces this,” the source said of the NYPD. “Unless you’re the cops, nobody else can do this because they don’t have the signs.” Columbia said the streets around its sports complex never get cleared for the games that draw thousands of fans to watch the Columbia Lions football team, according to NY1, which first reported the Sunday incident. There is a 1-train stop just five blocks from the stadium.

A mom has slammed the UK discount store Poundland for selling vibrators — on the same shelf as children’s toys. Dozens of Bonkin’ Bunny Vibrators were stacked between slinkies, “Finding Nemo” bath towels and sweetie-themed candles at the store in Tolworth, south London, according to horrified shopper Jana Bardsley-Smith. Bardsley-Smith, 52, said the $6.50 sex toys were positioned right next to the checkouts. “I was amused at first but then I realized I found it annoying,” the mom-of-two said. “It’s not something you want to see at eye level when you are out shopping. There is a place and a time to be selling or buying things like that. “There are a lot of families in the area. I wouldn’t want my child to ask what it is.” Bardsley-Smith has slammed the chain store as “insensitive.” “Thankfully I was on my own when I was out shopping. I would say it’s insensitive,” she said. “If they are going to sell things like that, they should be at the back of the store.”

Ryan Reynolds is funny AF on Twitter. He’s so funny that it would be nice if that whole acting thing didn’t work out for him so that he could spend more time tweeting. The reason parents in particular need to know that Reynolds kills on Twitter is because his tweets related to parenting are nothing short of comedic genius. He first became a dad when he and wifey Blake Lively welcomed their daughter James (yes, they named their baby girl James) into the world in 2014. They were again blessed in 2016 with the birth of their second daughter, Ines. Fatherhood opened up a whole other realm of hilarity for Reynolds. His tweets are not to be missed, as you’ll see below, but make sure you aren’t drinking anything because we will not cover the damage to your electronics due to any spit takes. Sometimes we use humor as a coping mechanism, right? Here Reynolds uses it to deal with separation anxiety. @vancityreynolds Damn it’s hard letting your infant daughter go somewhere alone for the first time. I was a total mess dropping her off at Burning Man. He’s an advocate of making a deliberate choice to be a father and he wants his daughters to know they were a choice. @vancityreynolds The mobile above my daughter’s crib is just a whole bunch of NuvaRings. So she remembers how lucky she is. And Reynolds, like so many of us, is sick of shaming women for public breastfeeding. @vancityreynolds It’s 2016. I’m not going to start drinking regular milk just because some asshat has a problem with public breastfeeding at the beach. Politics mean so much more when you have kids. Notice that this was posted shortly after the election results of 2016. @vancityreynolds I watched Frozen without my two year old this morning. Despair reveals itself in many forms. So many parents expect too much of themselves, but not Reynolds. He knows his limits. @vancityreynolds I’d walk through fire for my daughter. Well not FIRE, because it’s dangerous. But a super humid room. But not too humid, because my hair. THIS!!! Bwahahaha! @vancityreynolds Went to Disneyland because my daughter’s obsessed with Mickey Mouse. She was so excited when I got home and told her. As busy as he must be, he still takes time to advise newbie dads like this one, whose wife had just gone into labor. @vancityreynolds Ask your doctor if you qualify for an extension. A 4th, possibly even 5th trimester can be very peaceful for the father. Congrats. In fact, he makes time to share nuggets of wisdom he’s discovered along the way. @vancityreynolds Tip: It’s important parents take little “time outs” for themselves too. Even if you feel pretty guilty when you return 14 years later. He does not praise and reward his children for every little thing they do; he’s refreshingly brutal. @vancityreynolds My daughter’s only 6 months old and already drawing. I’d hang it on the fridge but honestly, it’s absolute garbage. Oh, and he’ll call his child out for bratty, privileged behavior, too. @vancityreynolds This morning, my daughter said, “quiche” which means she’s smart, hungry and an asshole. And believe it or not, celebrity parents face the same childcare issues we do. @vancityreynolds Tinder isn’t a babysitting app. Apologies to Crystal and Janine for the misunderstanding.

You mean Jürgen Otto and friend, right?

Conor McGregor, who recently finished his court-ordered community service in Brooklyn following an April 2018 rampage at Barclays Center is known for having his cock straining through his shorts, was arrested Monday for allegedly smashing a fan’s phone outside the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel. According to police, McGregor broke the phone after the man took photos around 5 a.m., leading to charges of strong-armed robbery and misdemeanor criminal mischief requested that his mugshot include his dick. He is set to be booked at Miami-Dade jail on Monday night.

There’s a new “McDreamy” on TV, but you won’t find him on “Grey’s Anatomy.” California veterinarian Dr. Evan Antin brings his chiseled jaw, bulging biceps and bedroom eyes — oh, and surgical skills — to Animal Planet’s “Evan Goes Wild.” Crowned “Sexiest Veterinarian Alive” (twice) and “Sexiest Beast Charmer” by People magazine, Dr. Antin will showcase such wildlife as crocodiles, jaguars, elephants and apes from Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to the Philippines. In the first of the season’s eight episodes he’ll head to Tahiti to visit a turtle sanctuary and to fulfill a longtime dream of swimming with humpback whales. When he’s not working, the 34-year-old vet can be found posing with puppies, cuddling with cats and befriending beasts large and small for his 1.1 million Instagram fans. Antin has his own brood at home — a dog, two cats, a lizard, a tortoise, a snake and “some fish.” (And to answer a pressing question: Sorry, but he’s engaged.) Antin spoke with The Post by phone from Puerto Rico, where he was with friends on his “first real, chill vacation in probably years.” What was your reaction when People first honored your hunkiness? They called me the “Sexiest Beast Charmer,” which isn’t really any profession, but it was fun. I’m not working toward being the sexiest anything — that’s not really my MO. It’s just more opportunity for me to connect with people about veterinary medicine, wildlife conservation and what I’m passionate about. Have your looks been a hindrance at all? It’s actually funny. I wanted to do a show for years, and networks were like, “You know, he’s a pretty boy — he’s not what we’re looking for.” I’ve always considered myself more like a rugged Steve Irwin type. I work with crocodiles and venomous snakes; I’m not just with puppies and kittens and trying to be sexy all day. But that was the biggest hindrance and things worked out in the end. I’ve got my dream show. Overall, it’s been a positive thing. I must note that two minutes into the first episode you do remove your shirt. Yeah. [Laughs] I do. Honestly, here’s the thing: I’m being myself. So, yeah, when I go swimming in the ocean, like many people I’m not wearing a shirt. I’m not trying to do more or less for the camera, really. What’s your favorite animal encounter? Swimming with whales was really epic, something I’ve been dreaming about for years, and to finally get in the water with them and literally swim with these humpback whales — mostly mothers and calves, 12 or 13 whales — that blew my mind. I read that your favorite animal is the crocodile — is that true? Yeah, I love crocs! I’m fascinated by them — they’re modern-day dinosaurs. Crocs can be extremely dangerous, especially bigger ones. I’ve been bitten several times. Once I got bit by a 6-footer — he ripped a hole in my forearm, so you could see my tendons and muscle and stuff underneath. That spikes your adrenaline a bit; when you’re in the moment you don’t feel it. And you also like cobras? I’ve handled some cobras in South Africa and in Indonesia. Not super extensive — not any big medical work-ups on them. More often I caught them; I love seeing them in the wild. They’re beautiful. That just seems scary. [Laughs] Most people don’t get it. There’s an introductory video with the article: https://nypost.com/2019/02/22/hunky-vet-will-get-you-purring-on-animal-planets-evan-goes-wild/

Kyle Gordy is a self-proclaimed “modern-day Jesus” who travels this great nation to impregnate scores of women with his “strong sperm.” The 27-year-old Los Angeles native started his mission in 2014 and has sired 18 babies — with seven more on the way — all around the country, from Alaska and Colorado to Texas and Kansas. (Dubai, the UK and Australia are on his international “wish list.”) It all started when he decided his super spunk was just too special to keep to himself. So, like the modern man he is, Gordy advertised his gift on Craigslist. Within two weeks, he made his very first donation to a local woman via artificial insemination. “I was going to apply to a sperm bank, but the whole thing just felt so cold and clinical,” he told Caters News. “My sperm is much better than what is in a sperm bank, as it’s strong and fresh during the donation, while I also do it all for free.” With one successful pregnancy in the bag, Gordy says word of his superpower spread — and soon he was being inundated with requests and referrals from women ages 18 to 42. Gordy says his seed is fueled by organic food and 18 different herbs and supplements a day. The nonsmoker also claims he never drinks alcohol or uses drugs. “I need to keep myself healthy, so I have the best sperm,” he says. “I have no idea why a woman would want to use a sperm bank when she could just use me. The specimens at a bank could be sitting there for years. You don’t really know what you’re getting.” Oh, and about that whole second coming of Christ thing. “People have called me a modern-day Jesus, and I have to agree with that,” Gordy says. “I’m very generous and giving — and the fact that I’m Jewish while Jesus was also Jewish.” Gordy says he always dreamed of having lots of children, but after a few failed relationships, he decided to go solo. Also, he’s turned off by high divorce rates and the responsibility that comes with monogamy. He has met four of his offspring, though, and trades photos with his various sex partners via a Facebook group. “Kids are a huge responsibility, and I think that is too much for me to handle,” he says. “So now I can have kids and help women at the same time.” Oh, and occasionally he gets lucky — six of his 18 spawn were conceived through actual sexual intercourse. “Some women don’t want to do artificial insemination as they don’t want to waste time and they feel it will be most effective if we do it the old-fashioned way,” says Gordy, who claims he never has sex for pleasure — only for donations. “They will ask if we can just have sex, and I’ll tell them I’m up for it and we exchange STD tests … Obviously, I’m a guy, so it is fun to do it that way if we both like each other.” Gordy hits the playground with one of his kids.

If you answered fried chicken, well, you’re somehow wrong. Correct answer: Kentucky Fried hot tub. That’s right, the famous chicken maker from the Bluegrass State has started a campaign for bubbling, branded Jacuzzis on Indiegogo.com, a crowdfunding website. “Introducing a revolution in hot tub technology: making it look like a giant KFC bucket,” the Indiegogo page reads. The tub features a wood-fired furnace, a vinyl liner with molded seating, 360 degrees of Kentucky Fried Chicken branding and fits five “fried chicken-loving people,” according to the page. “Are your muscles tired? Do you need to relax? Do you have a deep-seated love for corporate branding? Do you currently have any money in your bank account” the page asks potential backers, which included just three people as of Wednesday afternoon. Also as of Wednesday, the fund had raised $95 of its $46,683 goal, with 30 days remaining. But that’s not all. You can also back a smart cane remote, a picnic with the Colonel, a little Colonel locator and the “Colonel on ICE” ice-skating show. None of the campaigns have come close to reaching their thousand-dollar goals. Why, KFC? What is all of this fried chicken madness? Well, it’s all part of a larger branding campaign launched by KFC Innovations Lab, started this year. The lab has since created exclusive products like the KFC limited clothing line, the Colonel Sanders cat climber and the Colonel Sanders floatie, according to its Indiegogo page. The lab was created to bring even more of these ideas to life while also giving chicken fans the chance to be a part of the process. In December, KFC had another innovative product – a firelog that smelled like fried chicken. These logs weren’t available on Indiegogo and sold out in hours. What Kentucky Fried products would you like to see? We’re thinking: A greasy, KFC slip in slide.

Three new peacock spiders have been revealed by an Australian taxonomist, but he swears they are “harmless” and “charismatic.” The species from Western Australia were revealed by Joseph Schubert, who posted an image on Twitter this week announcing the spiders had been officially named. “Meet Australia’s three newest species,” Schubert wrote. “As of today they are officially named: Maratus aquilus, Maratus felinus and Maratus combustus.” Schubert, who discovered the spiders while working with Project Maratus, said the spiders were distinctive with brightly colored markings. He explained on Twitter that he had given some of his spiders their names to correlate with patterns on their abdomens. Schubert said these spiders were about the size of a grain of rice. So if you don’t like spiders, these could be considered cute. He said that 73 of the Maratus species have now been named. According to Schubert’s research, the male spiders are brightly colored, while the females are “drably colored” and difficult to identify. The spiders are of interest for their elaborate courtship behavior, which includes the males doing a dance to impress the females. “They’re incredibly small but so charismatic and so colorful,” Schubert told 10 Daily. He said peacock spiders were unique from other spiders, by being identifiable by their colorful markings on their abdomen. Other spiders are identified by their fangs or spider hair. Ew. Schubert made the discovery at Lake Jasper and Mount Romance in Australia’s southwest. He referred to the areas in Western Australia as a “biodiversity hotspot.” Confusion in the sweet, tiny peacock spider world persists. For instance, is there a sticky situation between rival spider researchers? This week, taxonomist, entomologist and Monash University research assistant Joseph Schubert was credited with discovering three new species of peacock spiders in West Australia. It’s been all over the news. In fact, Mr Schubert was quick to point out to The New Daily that his job was classifying and naming the new species – Maratus aquilus, Maratus felinus, and Maratus combustus – and they were actually found by three enthusiasts from Sydney who call themselves Project Maratus. “I didn’t discover them so I feel it’s unfair on the group for me to get all the credit,” he said. Even so, he had the job of rigorously writing up the research paper that is reviewed and officially births the species into scientific life. Project Maratus is headed by a bee keeper from the University of Western Sydney Michael Duncan. Mr Duncan said he and two citizen scientists discovered the new spiders “on a targeted research trip in southern WA”. So what do they look for when on the hunt? He said: “As a group we identify habitat that looks suitable for these spiders to live and spend countless days hunched over with our eyes fixated to the ground scanning for movement. “As they are a type of jumping spider, you can often see movement as they spring from one twig to another.” Mr Duncan described Mr Schubert as “an up and coming taxonomist with a huge interest in jumping spider taxonomy and we liaised with him to give him an opportunity to describe these unique Australian gems and he really did them justice”. This brings us to Jürgen Otto – who works in biosecurity for the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, identifying mites on incoming goods – and who is possibly the first person to photograph peacock spiders, in 2005. “Until then, there weren’t any on the internet,” he said. His peacockspider.org is the place to see a great library of photographs and videos, some of which feature Mr Otto talking to camera. He is the undisputed Peacock Spiderman, and has been profiled in news outlets around the world. Indeed he is a curiosity himself – being partly colour blind. Mr Otto half expected the Maratus Group would ask him to classify the new species – but they instead approached Mr Schubert, whom Mr Otto calls a good friend. “Actually I wasn’t involved in the study,” he said, by way of explaining his initial reluctance in participating in this story. “The people who found them won’t talk to me. They’ve locked me out their social media site. They used to cooperate with me but for some reason they have decided rather to compete. It’s quite sad how it’s developed.” He said that when he traveled to Western Australia recently: “I emailed them and asked to for the coordinates [where the new species were found] so I could photograph them and didn’t even get a reply.” In emails, Mr Duncan said: “Rivalry? Not sure where that’s come from. He’s put peacock spiders on the map worldwide and full credit to him.” And then: “It’s standard practice in new discoveries in taxonomy to not reveal locations before a paper is published. The locations were shared with the WA museum where they are supposed to be.” And then another: he said he was surprised the media was focusing on “anything but the discovery of these unique Australian gems. I often say at public talks, wouldn’t be great if the spiders were acknowledged on coins or postage stamps like other iconic Australian animals”. Mr Schubert simply said he was in a difficult position, stuck in the middle. Later, in an email he said: “I think it would also be worth noting that pretty much everything I’ve learnt about peacock spiders has come from Mr Otto and his colleague David Hill, they’ve been very helpful mentors. “It was only about three years ago when I was 18 or so that I found my first peacock spider and had no idea what species it was. Never did I think I would be working on them.” At this point someone might say “ouch” – except peacock spiders are harmless. Jürgen Otto and friend.

Would you hug your sons, laugh at them, or kill them slowly? It’s the gift that keeps on giving — whether he likes it or not! A New Jersey dad’s two prankster sons hung a billboard on a busy Atlantic City highway, complete with their old man’s cellphone number and a message urging strangers to call and wish him happy birthday, according to a report. Chris Ferry, of Linwood, who turns 62 on Saturday, has been flooded with about 10,000 calls and text messages — from well-wishers, nostalgics and oversharers — in less than a week, he told KYW News Radio. “They get me on the phone, they want to talk to me, they want to tell me about their most memorable birthday,” he told the station. “People say, ‘I lost my dad last year.’ I had one guy tell me, ‘I tried to call my father to tell him about the billboard and he didn’t pick up, so I figured I would call you to talk to you and now you’re not picking up.’” He’s getting a kick out of the gesture — even though it has effectively hijacked his smartphone, he said. “I really haven’t been able to use my phone in a normal way,” he said. “There’s a call coming through right now, it’s happened like three times since I’ve been on the phone with you.” But he added, “I got the joke. It was funny, it was good. And then I thought, ‘Man, I’m going to be getting a lot of phone calls.’” The billboard went up on the Black Horse Pike last week, proclaiming, “Wish My Dad Happy Birthday. Love, Your Sons” next to a giant image of Ferry’s face. His son Christopher Ferry Jr., of Florida, said he wanted to do something funny and special for his pop’s birthday. “We wanted it to be a birthday for him to remember,” he said, adding he’s been pranking Dad since he was a kid. “He’s laughing,” said Ferry Jr. “He’s trying to answer as many texts as he can, he’s answering phone calls. He’s actually really getting a kick out of it.” The soon-to-be birthday boy’s voicemail was full when The Post called Monday. But he told the radio station, “It’s been really good-natured fun — although at my expense.”

Speaking of Regina King and things that bounce... For Joel Embiid, it was simply the type of play he's always going to try to make. For award-winning actress Regina King, it was a moment she won't soon forget. King was sitting in the front row at Madison Square Garden when thePhiladelphia 76ers 7-foot center came charging her way in pursuit of a loose ball during the third quarter. Embiid leaped into the stands, clearing King, but crashed feet-first into the MSG Network statistician working next to broadcaster Mike Breen. "It's good that I saved her life I guess, but someone else had to, like, take that," Embiid said, referring to the statistician. "I'm sorry about that." King, perhaps best known to sports fans as Rod Tidwell's wife in "Jerry Maquire," won a Golden Globe last month for her role in If Beale Street Could Talk and is nominated for an Academy Award for the same role. She tweeted her thanks that she emerged unscathed. Asked why he didn't pull up with the Sixers holding a 15-point lead at the time, Embiid said that simply isn't his nature. "I only know one way to play and that's to play hard and compete," said Embiid, who added he'll do that 100 percent of the time. Even if coach Brett Brown wishes Embiid would approach things differently. Asked his thoughts on the play, Brown was matter of fact. "Just like I think our owners and our fans back home were thinking," he said. "You respect his aggression, and his passion, but you don't want that. I say that out of love and care. It's stuff you hope to avoid." The statistician somehow stayed in the game. "I didn't see him but I know he's going to feel it tomorrow,'' said teammate Ben Simmons. "I haven't done that since my rookie season -- and it just happened," Embiid said of his leap.

So you're the one who's watching! I'm sure ABC appreciates it.

Veteran pitcher Doug Fister, who recorded a 3.72 ERA over 10 major league seasons, is retiring, his agent said Wednesday. Fister's agent, Page Odle, told MLB.com that the 35-year-old had several contract offers but wanted to spend time with his family. "He's been contemplating this for a couple months," Odle said. "The main reason is that he wants to start a new chapter in his life. This is 100 percent family-driven." The lanky right-hander was 12-12 for the Texas Rangers last season after signing a one-year, $4 million contract. His best season came in 2014, when he went 16-6 with a 2.41 ERA in 25 starts for the Washington Nationals. Fister was a mainstay on the Detroit Tigers staff from 2011 to '13, and he also pitched for the Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.

Photographer Will Burrard-Lucas couldn’t have been luckier when a big black cat crossed his path while snapping wildlife in Kenya last month. “I couldn’t believe it,” Burrard-Lucas writes in a blog post. “It took a few days before it sank in that I had achieved my dream.” His dream was to capture one of the rarest of African big cats — the mythical black leopard. Turns out it actually exists. “This is what Will’s photos and the videos on our remote cameras now prove, and are exceptionally rare in their detail and insight,” Nicholas Pilford, scientist at San Diego Zoo Global and lead researcher for a leopard conservation program in Laikipia County, tells USA Today. “Collectively these are the first confirmed images in nearly 100 years of black leopard in Africa, and this region is the only known spot in all of Africa to have black leopard.” Burrard-Lucas had heard reports of black leopard sightings, such as the one published in January in the African Journal of Ecology by San Diego Zoo Global researchers. That’s when he decided to head to Africa himself, and set up several covert remote cameras byCamtraptions Camera Trap overnight at the Laikipia Wilderness Camp in Kenya, near where the San Diego Zoo researchers had confirmed the evasive predator’s existence. “Almost everyone has a story about seeing one, it’s such a mythical thing,” Nick Pilfold, a Kenya-based biologist and lead report author, tells National Geographic. Also known as a “melanistic” leopards, these sleek felines have a mutation marked by a prevalence of dark pigment over light. Prior to Pilford’s study, the elusive animals hadn’t been visually documented in Africa since 1909, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Shrinking habitats and scarce resources due to human activity have made the black leopard even more rare since then. They’re more commonly spotted in the jungles of Asia. Writes Burrard-Lucas, “I can still scarcely believe that this project — which started out as a speculative recce trip — has paid such spectacular dividends!”

Brace yourself, Rudolph Ingram is coming. The 7-year-old kid known as “Blaze” from Tampa Bay is the scariest thing on the internet right now — no joke. It’s been six months since Ingram first went viral when NBA superstar LeBron James posted a video of Ingram, with the little man exploding through defenders in a football game. In the last six months, Ingram has actually gotten more freakish. The sprinting sensation returned to the track over the weekend for his first meet of 2019. The video of Ingram competing in the first 60m and 100m sprints of the AAU season in Florida has him going viral all over again. He is in a league of his own in the video, exploding out of the blocks in the 60m dash and embarrassing the field of older competitors in the 100m. The newest sprinting clip has seen his number of Instagram followers climb above 270,000. Under an Instagram account operated by his father, Rudolph Ingram Sr., it is claimed that the pint-sized freak completed his 100m dash in just 13.48 seconds. That time is an astonishing 1.5 seconds faster than his reported personal best in August last year. It’s also a new world record if accurate, smashing USA Track and Field’s official record of 13.67 seconds for 7-year-olds. In the past two AAU national championship meets, he has won a combined 36 medals (including 20 golds). At the 2018 AAU championships in Orlando in July, he finished first in the 100m sprint and second in the 200m dash for 7-year-old boys. Oh, he’s also had a six-pack since he was 5 years old. Even though it's an innocent pic, I don't want to get in trouble for posting a pic of a kid, so here's a link to the article: https://nypost.com/2019/02/11/7-year-old-athletic-freak-cant-stop-going-viral/ He is just as freakish on the football field as he is on the track. Six months ago, it was Ingram’s football videos that had the internet losing its mind. At the age of 6, Ingram was last year playing running back and safety for the Tampa Ravens in a league for older boys. The videos are spellbinding. Even against the taller, older opponents, Ingram is dazzlingly freakish. Heading into the 2018 football season, Ingram reportedly measured at less than 4-feet tall and less than 50 pounds. He scored 10 touchdowns last season for the Ravens and was named the team’s MVP for the season. It’s no wonder his coach, Jimmy Watson, was left blown away. “At running back you can count on him to put the team on his small back and carry us to the promise land,” he said, according to youth1.com. “At safety, it’s unbelievable how he can make plays in the backfield. At running back, he’s very fast but even more elusive. The kid has vision like I’ve never seen in a 6-year-old before. One second he’s going one way and then you blink and he’s going another way. He stops on the drop of a dime and runs so aggressive. The kid is one in a million at safety. He’s so fast. He gets to the ball in the backfield and has great hips. I’ve yet to see someone put a move on him. The kids is an all-around great player.” While Rudolph’s track career is also blowing up, Ingram Sr. has said he wants his son to play in the NFL — if that’s his son’s true desire. “I realized Blaze had a gift … three years ago,” Ingram Sr. told Fox 9 News last year after LeBron’s social media account saw his Instagram page attract 100,000 followers almost overnight. “When I see LeBron James comment on it, it was like a stamp. Once LeBron likes it, everyone likes it. For me to see him go viral, I love it. I feel like with that viral platform you can do so much with it, from positive notes, inspirational notes.”

There have been warning signs for years about plummeting insect populations worldwide, but the extent of the potentially “catastrophic” crisis had not been well-understood — until now. The first global scientific review of insect population decline was published this week in the journal Biological Conservation and the findings are “shocking,” its authors said. More than 40 percent of insect species are dwindling globally and a third of species are endangered, concluded the peer-reviewed study, which analyzed 73 historical reports on insect population declines. Chillingly, the total mass of insects is falling by 2.5 percent annually, the review’s authors said. If the decline continues at this rate, insects could be wiped off the face of the Earth within a century. “It is very rapid. In 10 years you will have a quarter less, in 50 years only half left and in 100 years you will have none,” study co-author Francisco Sánchez-Bayo, an environmental biologist at the University of Sydney, Australia, told The Guardian. “If insect species losses cannot be halted, this will have catastrophic consequences for both the planet’s ecosystems and for the survival of mankind,” Sánchez-Bayo added. Scientists have warned that a human-caused sixth mass extinction is now underway on Earth. Vertebrate species, both on land and under the sea, are threatened at a global scale because of human activities. But according to the new review, the proportion of insects in decline is currently twice as high as that of vertebrates and the insect extinction rate is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. Insects play a profoundly important role in Earth’s ecosystems. They are a food source for many animals, are critical pollinators and recycle nutrients back into the soil. In a November New York Times report about a possible “insect apocalypse,” scientists were asked to imagine a world with no insects. They found “words like chaos, collapse, Armageddon,” the Times wrote. ”[One entomologist] describes a flowerless world with silent forests, a world of dung and old leaves and rotting carcasses accumulating in cities and roadsides, a world of ‘collapse or decay and erosion and loss that would spread through ecosystems.’” According to the new scientific review, habitat loss because of intensive agriculture is the top driver of insect population declines. The heavy use of pesticides, climate change and invasive species were also pinpointed as significant causes. “Unless we change our ways of producing food, insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades,” the review’s co-authors wrote. “The repercussions this will have for the planet’s ecosystems are catastrophic to say the least.”

An ambitious expedition to locate explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance is closing in on the Antarctic wreck site. Endurance, which was lost in an ice floe off Antarctica more than 100 years ago, is one of the world’s most famous undiscovered shipwrecks. The search team, however, is conducting its work in one of the harshest environments on the planet. The Weddell Sea Expedition icebreaker, S.A. Agulhas II, broke through heavy pack ice to reach Endurance’s last recorded position Sunday. “We are the first people here since Shackleton and his men!” said Exploration Director and Expedition Archaeologist Mensun Bound, according to a tweet by the team. Researchers will use Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) to locate the remains of the famous ship, which was crushed by pack ice and sank in November 1915. Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition had planned to make a land crossing of Antarctica. In a blog post on Sunday Bound wrote that the expedition crew was using a probe to measure water temperature and conductivity, before deploying an undersea drone. The underwater search by the expedition’s AUV 7 will last about 45 hours, he added. Water depth at the location is 3,038 meters (9,967 feet), according to Bound, who notes that “multi-year ice” is present. After Endurance was destroyed in the frozen wastes of the Weddell Sea her 28 crew members survived on ice floes for five months before using the ship’s lifeboats to reach Elephant Island near Antarctica. From there, Shackleton and five companions traveled 800 miles in a lifeboat to the South Atlantic island of South Georgia, where he arranged the rescue of Endurance’s remaining crew from Elephant Island. The survival and rescue of the ship’s crew are regarded as an incredible feat of human endurance. Endurance’s Captain, Frank Worsley, carefully recorded the ship’s final coordinates before she broke up and descended below the ice. The Weddell Sea Expedition recently completed scientific research at the Larsen C ice shelf that made headlines in 2017 when a huge iceberg dubbed A68 broke off the ice mass. The iceberg is the size of Delaware. Experts are intrigued by what they may find at the wreck site. In a blog post last month Bound noted that Endurance poses a unique set of challenges. “Whereas the overwhelming majority of shipwrecks that have been studied by archaeologists are all within a depth of, say, 50 meters [164 feet], and thus reachable by people with aqualungs, the Endurance, by contrast, is 60 times deeper, at 3000 meters [9,843 feet],” he wrote. “The Endurance takes us into the archaeology of hyper-depth of which there is very little experience and thus a dearth of reliable data.” The Expedition has also noted that the female members of the research team have made history. “These are the first women to ever be over this location of the Weddell Sea. We are proud of the large group of woman (scientists, engineers, doctor, film crew and off-shore management from SA and Europe) on this expedition!,” it tweeted Monday. The BBC reports that the Weddell Sea Expedition has allocated itself five days to locate the remains of Endurance.