Coffee and Provocation

Only Three Uses for a Dog
An op-ed in China’s Communist Party newspaper has blasted dog ownership as "elitist" and calling it a stain on “social peace and harmony." According to the author, while Western folks describe dogs as “man’s best friend,” dogs should more accurately be placed into three categories: “watchdogs, hunting dogs, and dogs to be eaten.

The Ebola Dogs of Freetown 
In Liberia, feral dogs have been seen eating the dead bodies of ebola victims.

Guys Prefer Electric Shocks to Boredom
It seems that the the prospect of being alone with their thoughts it so unpleasant for many men that they will willingly zap themselves with electricity in order to relieve the boredom.

Speciation is Not What It Appears
Why don't closely-related breeds, such as carrion crows and hooded crows, interbreed?  The answer appears to swing on differences in just 82 DNA letters, out of a total of about 1.2 billion -- that's all that separates the two species. The very small number of DNA sequences between the two crow species suggests how little actual difference there may be to create speciation -- and why differences in color and plumage may be less important than things unseen.

What they Carried 
Photographer Thom Atkinson collected the putative military kit, including clothing, weapons and provisions, used by soldiers from the Battle of Hastings up until today, and photographed them for comparison.

GifYouTube 
At GifYouTube, you can make a GIF from part of a YouTube video. Just fill in the URL of the video and select start time and the length of the GIF.

New York City Madness
At the Hawthorn Park on West 62nd Street in New York City, Glenwood Managemen has decided that no dog larger than 15 pounds will be allowed, and that such dogs must be picked up and carried across the white marble floor. Canine residents also cannot use the regular elevator -- only the service elevator.