Waiter fired...for being a hero?

A waiter at a restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. rescued a 22-year-old woman who was being attacked by a man with a knife outside the restaurant. The waiter, Juan Canales, saw the attack as it was unfolding and ran to her rescue. He tackled the man and held him until police arrived. When he got back to the restaurant, his boss told him he was fired. Canales said, “Are you serious?” The boss gave no reason as to why he was fired according to Canales. When asked later, the restaurant manager said that Canales was a hero, but he was not that great of an employee.



Alex the parrot dies

The famed parrot, Alex, who could identify colors, count to six, and even express emotions such as frustration during repeated scientific trials, has passed away. For over 30 years, the bird has helped scientists understand the way birds think. No one is sure why the bird died, but Alex’s owner and researchers were devastated by the discovery. Irene Pepperberg, the bird’s owner, bought him from an animal shop in 1973. Since then, he was able to learn how to identify more than 50 objects, five shapes, and seven colors. The bird was just recently able to say the word “seven” for the first time. Alex had yet to reach his full cognitive ability before he passed away.



Use of wood may offset gasoline use

The chief of the U.S. Forest Service announced a proposal to replace 15 percent of the gasoline consumed in the country with ethanol generated from wood. He also would like to double the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by both public and private forests.

He intends to use wood that is currently not being used for anything else to generate ethanol. This includes underbrush and small diameter trees that are already required to be cleared as part of an effort to reduce forest fires. He would also drastically increase the number of trees planted annually. The Forest Service is already teamed up with several nonprofit organizations that allow consumers to offset their carbon emissions by making donations to have trees planted.

Gore Vidal’s “Creation” boldy explores the first philosophers →