Florence, the Veggie Shark! Blade Runner Sequel! [I read stuff]

Wherein I read things, laugh [or not], and pass them on to you…

• World’s first vegetarian shark spurns meat for celery sticks:

Fish no longer have any reason to fear Florence, a six-foot tropical nurse shark living at Birmingham’s National Sea Life Centre. Ever since she survived an out-of-water surgery, the picky shark has lost all interest in eating meat, opting for a vegan diet.Three years ago, when Florence arrived at the National Sea Life Centre from Florida, her caretakers discovered that she had a fishing hook lodged deep inside her mouth. She received a groundbreaking out-of-water surgery, making her the first shark to survive such an operation. But after Florence healed up, she didn’t return to her protein-rich diet. When her keepers offer her fish, she refuses to eat, instead stealing vegetables meant for her green turtle roommate. A nurse shark eating the occasional bit of algae isn’t unusual, but for a shark to turn down meat entirely is unheard of.

Florence may think she’s a vegetarian, but sharks can’t survive on greens alone, no mater how much they hate fish. To ensure that she’s getting enough protein, curator Graham Burrows and his team have taken to hiding bits of fish in leaves of lettuce and hollowed-out cucumbers. However, they have to hide them thoroughly; if Florence spots a bit of flesh, she won’t eat it. [io9/Lauren Davis/19 May 2012]

• Original BLADE RUNNER Screenwriter, Hampton Fancher, Returns to Pen Sequel:

When word broke last summer that Ridley Scott would be returning to the world of Blade Runner to direct a sequel, I can’t say I was all that excited. In fact, I’m still not. For me, Blade Runner is a true sci-fi classic and something that I’d rather see left in peace. Nevertheless, I guess if a sequel absolutely must be made, I suppose I would rather see Scott and Blade Runner writer Hampton Fancher take a crack at it than anyone else. [collider/Jason Barr/19 May 2012]

• Israeli doctors say they were able to safely remove a toothbrush from a woman’s stomach after she accidentally swallowed it.

• Vengeful Tear: The 5 Most Offensive Sexist and Homophobic Moves by Conservatives: This Month Alone!:

This month has already brought some great moments: massive protests on May 1 and the historic cultural moment when a sitting US president endorsed marriage equality. But simultaneously the GOP and other conservative institutions have gone on what felt like a vengeful tear. Maybe these racist, sexist and homophobic statements and bills really just constitute business as usual, a continuation of the “war on women,” but in contrast to progress, it most certainly brings the term “reactionary” into a new light. It also shows that the war on women isn’t just on women–it’s on anyone who doesn’t conform to rigid patriarchal gender roles. …The right-wing may eventually lose the culture wars, but they’re going to go out kicking and screaming and trying to tear down as many rights as they can on their way down. [AlterNet/Sarah Seltzer/17 May 2012]