The Owl That Was Labeled a Peeping Tom

In February 2023, someone cut the protective netting of an enclosure that housed Flaco the owl at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. His escape attracted significant public and press attention, especially because he was a species not native to North America. There were concerns for his ability to feed himself after being in captivity for so long, since he had not previously needed to fly or hunt. Flaco subsequently resided in and around Central Park and was spotted successfully catching and eating rats a week after his escape. Attempts to recapture Flaco failed, and a petition circulated, advocating that he be allowed to remain free. Because Flaco was caught looking in apartment windows throughout Manhattan, the Wall Street Journal even dubbed him a “peeping Tom.” The owl quickly became a tourist attraction, with a number of artists painting murals of the famous owl. Poems were written about him, musicians wrote songs about him, and some people even got tattoos of his likeness. On February 23, 2024, Flaco was found on the ground on West 89th Street, seriously injured from what was later determined to be a collision with a building. A autopsy revealed that Flaco had actually died from rat poison, likely ingested as a result of eating poisoned rats. Following Flaco’s death, people began leaving photos, cards, and other mementos under an oak tree that he frequently roosted in. Flaco’s remains were donated to the American Museum of Natural History.

 

 

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How to Make Google Show You the Good Search Results Again

Most people agree that Google has gotten worse at showing useful results. The off-target search results are getting more and more common, and we can only lay part of the blame on the results being cluttered with AI-generated junk and human-generated SEO-bait (content that is created to attract links from other websites). How can you get around this? First, understand that Google is not the only search engine out there. Others, like DuckDuckGo and Kagi, may be better at giving you what you’re actually looking for. If you’re using Google here’s how to turn on verbatim mode in Google searches: 

• • On the search results page, look for a menu that says Tools. It may be on the far right side of the screen. 
• • On desktop, look on the far right side of the page, to the right of any buttons suggesting related searches or different categories of search (images, shopping, etc.). 
• • On mobile, underneath the search box you’ll see those “images, shopping…” categories. Put your finger on those words and swipe to the left; at the end of the row, on the far right, you’ll see Search tools. 
• • After tapping Tools or Search tools, you’ll see a drop-down labeled All results. Click or tap on this, and you’ll see the option Verbatim. That Verbatim feature under Tools is the key to searching for the words you actually typed in. 

We can’t promise anything about the quality of the pages you’ll land on, but at least you’ll get a more targeted selection.

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The Largest Swimming Pool in America Was Once in San Francisco

If you pull into the parking lot of the San Francisco Zoo, you might notice an ornate building facade that stands behind a barbed wire fence, seemingly out of place and without any historical explanation. That crumbling face and its decorative carvings were formerly part of the Fleishhacker Pool, a city landmark from 1924 to 2012. The gigantic pool was built by Bay Area local philanthropist and City Parks Commissioner Herbert Fleishhacker to accommodate 10,000 swimmers. The pool opened on April 23, 195 and was filled with 6.5 million gallons of saltwater pumped in from the nearby ocean at high tide. At 10,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, plus a separate tiered diving tower, it was the largest pool in the United States at the time. Local lifeguards used wooden rowboats to traverse the expanse because it was so large. It opened to much fanfare, with stars such as Johnny Weismuller, Esther Williams and Ann Curtis all swimming there. The water was heated, though it generally fluctuated between 65º and 75º — a chilly temperature for most swimmers. The pool was even used for aquatic drills by the military during war years. Unfortunately, strong storms in 1971 caused extensive damage that eventually led to the pool’s closure. Studies show that the public usage was extremely low, the annual operating costs were high, and there was little revenue to offset these costs. Refurbishing the pool was out of the question, so it was abandoned and left neglected for years. In 2012, a fire broke out, leaving only the facade you can see now. Today, the filled-in pool operates as a guest parking lot run by the San Francisco Zoological Society with oversight by San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The city still owns the land.

 

 

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World's Oldest Practicing Doctor Offers Advice on Staying Mentally Sharp

Of course the oldest practicing doctor is a neurologist. With a mix of fortunate genetics and a vast knowledge of how to keep the brain healthy, it makes perfect sense. At 102 years old, Dr. Howard Tucker just recently stopped seeing patients. However, he’s still training medical residents and doing medical review work from his home in Cleveland, Ohio. Tucker has been practicing medicine since 1947. In addition, he became a lawyer in 1989 at the age of 67. His 75 years of practice is memorialized in the Guinness Book of World Records. Sara, his wife of 65 years, is a psychiatrist who still practices at the age of 90. Tucker’s advice for staying mentally sharp includes his encouragement to delay retirement. “Many people who retire and become inactive in their day-to-day routine are at an increased risk of cognitive decline,” said Tucker. Other advice Tucker provides includes staying in shape, not smoking, using moderation in your diet, and sharing your knowledge.

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