Julia Blaukopf - Artist and Photographer

"If you're photographing in color you show the color of their clothes - if you use black and white, you will show the color of their soul."

~Author Unknown

Last week, Trudi and I met artist and photographer Julia Blaukopf during a cocktail party at the studio of SoHo artist Alex Beard. Julia was discussing her recent trip to Ghana.

Julia was invited there by Women in Progress, a group who defines their mission as "working at a grassroots level to develop small, sustainable women-owned craft jewelry, clothing, and batik businesses, and, at the same time, establish mutual understanding among people of diverse cultures." Julia's photograph (above) shows an example of their work .

Julia's website gives further information about this project. "With the support of fiscal sponsor, First Person Arts, Blaukopf worked in Ghana for four months. She photographed and designed the 2007 Global Mamas catalog. Her images will become a promotional tool for Women in Progress. In November 2007, Blaukopf will exhibit the images as a part of the Annual First Person Arts Festival."

If you go to Julia's website, click on Gallery to see her portfolio. I am particularly intrigued by her sepia toned pictures, which exude an aura of antiquity. They remind me of Matthew Brady's work. His American Civil War images took photography out of the parlor and transformed it into a fundamental component of journalism.

Sepia photographs evoke a powerful emotional response. The brown hue transports these images into another world. I imagine that I am looking through a time portal. Considering how fast paced and stressful modern life is, they make me nostalgic for a time when we didn't have to deal with cell phones, websites, computer passwords, e-mails, and TiVo.

This simpler life, although not ideal (no antibiotics or pre-natal care) was far better suited to human biology. Our bodies haven't evolved fast enough to keep pace with the quantum leap in technology.

And even though Julia's Ghana portfolio was created recently, the sepia overtone reminds us that we are viewing a part of the world that we have known for a very long time. Africa was our first home, where we became human.

During the cocktail party, Julia showed us some of her mixed media work, where she applies photographs to non-traditional surfaces - like shells. It was interesting to see an art form that blends natural materials with a modern technology.

Julia's work can currently be seen at The Center for Emerging Visual Artists. They have a show called Small Wonders, which is running from June 14 through July 12. The address is:

Morgan, Lewis and Bockius LLP

1701 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

There will be a reception on Friday July 15, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM.

I am certain that this talented young artist will continue to produce perceptive and compelling photography!

Chase Bank is Providing Excellent Customer Support Against Phishing Scams!

A Monkey Bob - Consumer Crusader Post

"Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong." - Donald Porter

I recently received an e-mail that claimed to be from Chase Bank. It indicated that I was going to be charged $121.44 by an Internet porn company, unless I immediately responded with verification of my Chase credit card information. I suspected that this was a phishing scam because:

1) This e-mail was not signed by anyone.

2) There was no customer service number to call.

3) If the e-mail actually was from Chase, then they would already have my credit card information, so I wouldn't need to submit it again.

Wikipedia defines phishing as: "a criminal activity using social engineering techniques. Phishers attempt to fraudulently acquire sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. eBay and PayPal are two of the most targeted companies, and online banks are also common targets. Phishing is typically carried out by email or instant messaging, and often directs users to give details at a website, although phone contact has been used as well. Attempts to deal with the growing number of reported phishing incidents include legislation, user training, and technical measures."

Phishing is currently one of the largest consumer frauds in the world . No one knows exactly how much money is being stolen, but it is estimated to be in the billions -(that's "illions" with a "b"). And the rate of phishing incidents appears to be growing exponentially. Recent government reports indicate that this activity is being taken over by organized crime.

Anyway, back to Monkey Bob. After I suspected that this e-mail was a scam, I sent a copy of it to abuse@chase.com, which is the conduit that Chase recommends for reporting suspicious e-mails. Then I sent a letter to Mr. Jamie Dimon, who is the President and COO of JP Morgan Chase and Co. Today I received a response from Eloy J. Mosley, who is in the Chase Card Service Executive Office.

Mr. Mosley confirmed that I had received a phishing e-mail. He indicated that none of my Chase credit card accounts had been charged. He then went on to explain Chase's guidelines for contacting customers online.

"It is not our practice to:

• Send (an) e-mail that requires you to enter personal information directly into the e-mail
• Send (an) e-mail threatening to close your account if you do not take the immediate action of providing personal information
• Send (an) e-mail asking you to reply by sending personal information
• Send (an) e-mail asking you to enter your User ID, password, or account numbers into an e-mail or non-secure webpage

You should never reply to, click on, or enter any information if you receive a suspicious e-mail."

These are excellent guidelines for any suspicious e-mail.

I lump companies into two categories - 1) those that actively work to support their customers, and 2) those that don't. Chase Bank definitely falls into the first category!

Here I am - Monkey Bob - a regular working guy living in New Jersey. I am not wealthy, have no special connections, and don't possess any political influence. Yet Chase Bank - one of the largest financial institutions in the world - took the time to respond to my letter with comprehensive and helpful information. Kudos to you, Chase Bank for actually caring about your customers, and by backing it up with action! You have moved to the top of my Christmas Card List.

In the twenty first century, no company has "a lock" on their customers. The Internet and related technologies allow customers to have more information and to make more choices about who they will do business with. Chase Bank has embraced the concept that providing excellent customer service is the key to their company's success. I am certain that this philosophy will serve them well in the future.

"If you don't take care of your customers, someone else will."

- Unknown

Note: Neither I nor any of my primate friends received any compensation from Chase Bank for publishing this post. I felt compelled to do this because I believe that excellence in business should be promoted and rewarded!

Crammers are Taking Advantage of Consumers - and Getting Away With It!

A Monkey Bob - Consumer Crusader Post.

“There are three things in the world that deserve no mercy - hypocrisy, fraud, and tyranny.” - Fredrick William Robertson

It appears that I was recently "crammed" on my phone bill. The Federal Communications Commission defines "cramming" as:

“Cramming” is the practice of placing unauthorized, misleading, or deceptive charges on your telephone bill. Crammers rely on confusing telephone bills in an attempt to trick consumers into paying for services they did not authorize or receive, or that cost more than the consumer was led to believe."

Cramming is a big problem. This activity is scamming consumers out of billions of dollars each year. And the chances of crammers being caught and convicted are almost zero!

In March of 2007 a company called YP.Corp added a $27.50 charge onto my Verizon home phone bill - for something called "web maintain". I never requested or authorized this charge. When I contacted them about this, they sent me a refund check.

When I looked into this situation, the YP.Corp charge on my phone bill appeared to meet the definition for cramming. After a number of letter exchanges with YP.Corp, they still have not offered an adequate explanation for why I was charged.

In addition, I question YP.Corp's credibility because - in December of 2006, YP.Corp agreed to pay $2 million in refunds after settling in court with the Attorneys General of 34 states. In a 12-14-06 statement from The Office of the Attorney General of Missouri - Attorney General Jay Nixon said that "The businesses and organizations often did not realize that depositing an “activation” check for $3.25 from YP Corp. — which does business under the names YP.com, YP.net and Yellow-Page.net — triggered a monthly charge of $25 to $30 on their telephone bills or from their bank accounts for an Internet directory listing."

I filed complaints with government agencies because - even though I got my money back - there are probably thousands of people who were not refunded by the companies that use this questionable business practice. Because of the subtle way that it is done, many victims don't even realize that they are paying for something that they never wanted!

The YP.Corp settlement took place 6 months ago, and prosecution was only initiated after a considerable amount of time, and after a large number of complaints were collected and evaluated. But there doesn't appear to be any mechanism in place - for an individual consumer to initiate an effective government investigation of his (or her) cramming complaint.

The data below illustrates the steps that I took to try and start an government investigation of YP.Corps' charge on my phone bill:

1) I filed a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs for the State of New Jersey (where I live). It has been two months since I did this, and I have received no response.

2) I filed a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs for the State of Nevada, where YP.Corp has offices. All of the correspondence that I received from YP.Corp came from their Las Vegas, Nevada office. Instead of investigating this situation, the State of Nevada forwarded this complaint to the Division of Consumer Affairs for the State of Arizona, where YP.Corp has their headquarters.

3) Instead of investigating Nevada's forwarded complaint, the Arizona Division of Consumer Affairs forwarded this complaint to the State of New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, the agency that still hasn't responded to me.

4) I filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission - who has a page on their website for filing cramming complaints. But their response to me said that this situation did not fall within their jurisdiction. They suggested that I contact the Federal Trade Commission. The obvious question here is - Why is the FCC collecting cramming complaints, when they will not take action on them? My guess is that this complaint page is supposed to make Americans feel like the FCC is protecting them against cramming, when in fact it is not.

5) I filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, who responded with a list of suggestions on how to protect myself from cramming. But they did not pursue an investigation of my complaint.

6) I filed a Mail Fraud complaint with the US Postal Service - twice - but have received no response.

Therefore it appears that no government agency is investigating individual cramming complaints - and then taking effective action against the guilty companies. So it looks like consumers will continue to be victimized by cramming - without adequate Government intervention or protection.

I welcome comments from my readers.

Note: At the time that this post was written, YP.Corp has not been charged or convicted of cramming - in my situation - by any court of law. However the evidence that I have presented in this post indicates that YP.Corp's charge (on my home phone bill) appears to be cramming.

Every responsible journalist has an obligation to present both sides of a story. I therefore invite YP.Corp to submit a response to this post.

Highlands Photographic Guild in Milford, PA

"Photography has always reminded me of the second child.. trying to prove itself. The fact that it wasn’t really considered an art.. that it was considered a craft has trapped almost every serious photographer." - Richard Avedon

Trudi and I recently discovered a fascinating photography collection in Milford, PA. It is the Highlands Photographic Guild. Based on the quality of their work, I am certain that these photographers can "hold their own" with any other art form.

I was captivated by this collection of well crafted photos, which were both compelling and eclectic. I have always enjoyed photo displays that present a number of different artists. Such an experience is both visually stimulating and intellectually rewarding. It forces you to categorize the different styles, and thus to better understand each photographer's point of view.

Karen Kruger, one of the 10 resident photographers, was kind enough to walk us through the collection, and to give us some background on each artist. Karen is in love with color. She uses it in a bold but controlled way. Her photos grab your attention, and elicit a powerful emotional and cerebral response. She is particularly gifted in her use of blue. Her photo of flagstone steps, a jar and a door mesmerized me. The different shades of turquoise, cobalt, and navy leaped out from the picture and overwhelmed me. It was a most pleasant experience!

Contact information - and hours - can be found at HPG. They also participate in Art After Dark, where a number of artists, musicians, and merchants stay open from 6-9 PM the second Saturday of each month. This sounds like a new and interesting activity for people (like Trudi and I) who find themselves doing the same thing every weekend.

After viewing the collection at the Highlands Photographic Guild Gallery, I challenge any painter or sculptor to claim that their art is on a higher level. These photos speak for themselves, and the message is that the Guild Gallery collection is fine art in every sense of the word!

Help Support an End to the Breeding of Chimpanzees for Research.

An organization called Project R&R, is collecting names on a petition to end the breeding of chimpanzees for research. If you want to add your signature, please click here.

The Chimpanzee Genome was completed in 2005. Scientists determined that there is less than a 2% difference between human and Chimpanzee DNA. We are genetically closer to chimpanzees that we are to Neanderthals.

This data provides a valid reason to rethink the use our furry cousins for medical research.

I welcome your comments (pro and con) on this issue.

Words of Wisdon from Richard Wagner

Based on what humans have done to our planet, I wonder if Richard Wagner's words are still true.

Perhaps Planet of the Apes would be an upgrade!

There Are Still Some Good People Left in the World!

This afternoon, I went into the Boonton, NJ Post Office to mail some letters. After I entered, I witnessed a very rude and obnoxious customer giving a hard time to the postal clerk who was waiting on him.

I was amazed by how well this postal clerk interacted with this customer. The clerk kept his cool and was very professional, even when he encountered insulting and condescending comments. I said to myself, "Now this is a guy who has some class and personal integrity!" That postal clerk was Vincent DeCristofaro.

Vincent and I started talking, and I explained that I was mailing letters in support of my fight against YP.Corp, a company that added a charge to my home phone bill, without my request, knowledge, or consent. In December of 2006, YP.Corp agreed to issue $2 million in refunds, after settling in court, with 34 State Attorneys General for improper business practices.

I informed Vincent about "cramming", which is a form of telephone fraud. I told him that many innocent people and groups - including charities, churches, schools, and non-profit organizations - are being victimized by this unethical business practice. It doesn't get much sleazier than to improperly take money from churches, schools, and charities!

Vincent informed me that he and a group of Italian friends recently started a non-profit organization called Vero Amici - which means "True Friends" in Italian. This group, designated as a 501(c), raises money for needy people and causes, including:

• Special needs children and adults

• Single mothers

• Buddies & Shadows - a program where mentors support the mainstreaming of high functioning Down's Syndrome people.

I was not surprised that an individual who would have the character to deal so well with a rude customer, would also be actively involved in charity work. It helped to reaffirm my faith in humanity!

Vincent informed me that almost 100% of the money raised by Vero Amici goes towards the causes that they support - a very impressive figure! I don't contribute to the large corporate charities because so much of the money raised goes towards overhead.

I encourage you to check out Vero Amici and to support their work. Kudos to you Vincent!

Petrarca Cucina E Vino - A Casual New York Trattoria with Superb Food and Wine!

Wikipedia defines Serendipity as "the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while looking for something else entirely. The word derives from an old Persian fairy tale and was coined by Horace Walpole on 28 January, 1754 in a letter he wrote to a friend. The letter read,

"I once read a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip. As their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of."

Today was a serendipitous day for my wife Trudi, my sister Vicki, and I when we discovered a charming restaurant in lower Manhattan called Petrarca Cucina E Vino.

We originally set out from SoHo to participate in the TriBeCa Family Festival Street Fair, which we were told was located somewhere on Church Street. But alas, we found out - after walking down to the World Trade Center (about 20 blocks) - that the Street Fair was located elsewhere.

It was on the way back through TriBeCa that we happened upon Petrarca Cucina E Vino. I was immediately attracted to the restaurant by its resemblance to the trattorias that I frequented in Tuscany.

The interior was uncluttered, with nicely spaced tables, so that you didn't have to be involved in your fellow diners' conversations. The walls were lined with wine racks, interspaced with jars of preserved fruit. This environment made me feel like I could just "chill out" and enjoy a casual meal - something which is hard to come by in The Big Apple.

The wine menu was impressive, with a generous selection of Italian reds and whites. We chose a Super Tuscan "Corbaia" 1997 by Bossi. This turned out to be a full bodied and fruity red, with a wonderful bouquet, and a substantially long finish. It was a delightful discovery which we greatly enjoyed. Trudi has added it to our "We Have To Get More of This Wine" list. The "Corbaia" was $35 for a half bottle, which I thought was reasonable in a city where many restaurant wines come with three digit price tags.

Petrarca Cucina E Vino offers many of their best wines in half bottles, which I think is a smart marketing move. It allows diners to sample wines that might normally be out of their price range, and thus to increase their wine experience. It also increases the inventory turn for the higher priced wines, which can tie up a lot of a restaurant's cash.

During our meal, I spoke with Giorgio Conte, the Manager. He was trained as a sommelier. His talent and passion were clearly evident in the quality of the wine selection.

One thing that I don't enjoy about many restaurants is the wine glasses. Many are thick, clunky containers, without the full bow that allows you to fully appreciate a wine's bouquet. They look like they are designed more to survive hundreds of dishwashings than to optimize the wine tasting experience. This restaurant, to their credit, served our wine in the same quality wine glasses that we use at home. I give them high marks for this!

Petrarca Cucina E Vino also offers a Happy Hour from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM on Monday through Friday. During this event, they offer 75 wines by the glass, and 350 wines by the bottle, an impressive number of choices for any New York restaurant!

For my entree, I chose Fettuccine Alla Bolognese, ($17.50) which was fettuccine with a red meat sauce. The portion was generous and the meat sauce melted in my mouth! It was so good that I wound up eating the entire portion.

Trudi opted for Pollo Paillard, ($17.50) which was grilled chicken with arugula, tomato, and onions. The chicken was juicy, with a nice caramelized glaze that blended perfectly with the vegetable topping. Trudi has traveled to Italy for over 20 years on business. She said that her chicken dish was as good as any meal she had in "The Old Country".

Vicki selected Penne Al Tonno, ($17.50) which was penne with fresh tuna, tomatoes, black olives, and capers. The chef was successful in broiling the fish into "The Perfect Tuna Zone". I define this as the degree of "doneness" where the outside has a delicious crust while the inside is cooked enough to take the raw taste out of the fish - but not so much that it loses the succulent texture that makes sushi so delicious.

We were also served wonderful Italian bread, with extra virgin olive oil.

No Italian meal is complete without a cup of cappuccino. Petrarca Cucina E Vino's offering was well prepared, and provided an enjoyable conclusion to our meal.

As far as service, our waiter was attentive, but not intrusive - a rare commodity in New York restaurants! In many places, you either can't find your waiter for half an hour, or they are hovering around you like a nervous puppy.

Conclusion: Very good food, an excellent selection of wines, and reasonable prices. Combined with a relaxed dining atmosphere and good service, I give Patrarca Cucina E Vino - 5 Bananas. I will recommend it to all of my primate friends!

NOTE: The Monkey Prose Restaurant Rating System goes from 0 Bananas (It makes Army food look good.) to 5 Bananas (An exceptional dining experience.)

No Touch Monkey! - by Ayun Halliday

I discovered "No Touch Monkey" during one of my weekly visits to Barnes & Noble. It was sitting on the "Hmm, that's interesting!" table - in between the Science section and an immense wall of "Chicken Soup for the ....." books. Boy, have they milked the last ounce of revenue out of that cash cow!

Being a monkophile, I was compelled to touch "No Touch Monkey" and give it a quick scan. After one paragraph I was hooked!

The author, Ayun Halliday, chronicles her journeys around the world, with a host of travel companions. As a young adult, she embraced the "I'm bulletproof" self image that many of us shared at that age. That sense of invulnerability is what allowed us to take on risky,and maybe crazy adventures that would have frozen older souls with fear.

Bruce Lee once said "The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering." In Ayun's travels, she acquired more fascinating experiences than many people encounter in a lifetime. And I am certain that the rest of her life will be richer for it!

The aspect that I enjoyed most about "No Touch Monkey" is that it was "a good read". Her story flowed smoothly - like conversation with a friend, when you are each on your third glass of wine. Her descriptive prose was colorful; forming vivid images in my head as she chronicled her exploits. The only other author who affected me this intensely was Ernest Hemingway - not a bad comparison for literary chops!

But unlike EH, Ayun doesn't take herself too seriously. She has a razor sharp wit, and a natural talent for discovering irony in whatever she encounters. That substantially increased my enjoyment of her book.

I finished "No Touch Monkey", a 272 page book, in four days, which is somewhat of a record for me. I was saddened when I was done. I felt like I was losing a new friend. As a result, I would read this book again, just to re-experience that relationship.

Summary: I give "No Touch Monkey" two opposable thumbs up. If you would like to experience the adventure of world travel, without encontering mayhem, missed connections, and malaria, then this book is for you!

You can find our more about the author at Ayun Halliday.

Among Chimps and Bonobos, the Hand Often Does the Talking

Chimpanzees, bonobos, and humans share a common use of gestures to enhance their communication. This implies that this trait is genetic and not cultural.

You can read this story at The New York Times.

Update on the Court Battle Over Primarily Primates Inc. in Texas

5-1-07
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Seven chimps formerly used in research at Ohio State University could be returned to a troubled primate sanctuary, nearly six months after being removed from the Ohio preserve amid allegations of mistreatment.

A probate judge last week returned control of Primarily Primates Inc. to its restructured board of directors, provided its founder and former executive director, Wallace Swett Jr., cuts ties with the company.

Nine chimps and three monkeys, used for cognitive research at OSU, came to the sanctuary in March 2006, in a more than $300,000 contract to care for the animals.

One of the monkeys escaped the day it arrived at the 75-acre facility in San Antonio, and two chimps died within months of moving in. Concerns arose quickly about conditions at Primarily Primates, and the chimps' former caretakers sued the sanctuary alleging mistreatment and mismanagement.

A judge eventually decided that a court-appointed caretaker should oversee the facility while the legal matters were sorted out, and placed Lee Theisen-Watt in charge.

Theisen-Watt decided the park was overcrowded and in terrible condition, a claim Primarily Primates disputed, and shipped the chimps to a sanctuary in Louisiana.

The agreement between Primarily Primates and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott puts the park back under the control of the company's board, ending Theisen-Watt's oversight.

"The condition of the facility has been greatly improved and overcrowding has been alleviated," said Abbott's spokesman, Tom Kelley. The agreement requires Primarily Primates to build adequate enclosures for the chimps by October and submit to inspections over the next two years.

Critics note that the settlement reinstates two members who served on the board last year, including Priscilla Feral, who said she expected former board member Stephen Tello to be named temporary executive director.

Thanks to Benjamin Bayliss ctrkgrendel@yahoo.com and Monkeywire for this story.

Monkey Bob Discovers SOHO Artist - Alex Beard

Today my wife Trudi and I visited SOHO in New York City. For those not familiar with The Big Apple, SOHO stands for South of Houston Street. This is a section of the city in lower west Manhattan that is known for art studios, bistros, and eclectic retail stores. While there, we came upon the studio of Alex Beard, which was a wonderful discovery

This artist uses color in a bold and captivating style. Many of his paintings have the same visual impact as a neon sign. But instead of just splashing chroma onto his canvases with the wild abandon of a child's finger painting, Alex controls his use of color to create images which have a powerful immediate impression. But then, as you study the paintings, you can focus in on the symmetric complexity of his designs. This allows you to view his works on at least three or four different levels. I could easily study some of his paintings for half an hour or more, and still be discovering new information.

Alex's work is also whimsical. Many of his paintings represent animals and people in new and refreshing ways. I really enjoy artists who can present familiar objects from a different perspective. It makes me realize that the zebra or flamingo (that I thought I knew so well) can still teach me something about nature and life.

Some artists prefer to work in solitude, and then present their finished works to the world. However, Alex devotes a significant amount of his time to running childrens' workshops and other participative activities. He also encourages visitors to come and see him in his studio, while he is working. The Beard Studio also hosts cocktail parties and intimate dinners. Instead of seeing these interactions as an impediment to his work, I am guessing that Alex enjoys meeting people and that they increase his creative energy.

The bio in his brochures offers some background on Alex: "Born in 1970, Alex was influenced to think creatively from a young age by his uncle, Peter Beard, the photographer, and his mother Patricia Beard, an accomplished author and magazine editor. Alex grew up as a child among some of the world's most interesting and influential people. Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, and their Pop World cohorts were familiar faces in the Beard Household."

So if you are in SOHO, then I believe that you will enjoy a visit to Alex Beard's studio. It is located at:

Alex Beard Studio

77 Mercer Street

New York, NY 10012

Phone: (212) 274-0326

Website: Alex Beard Studio.

What Chinese Astrologers Say About Monkeys

China is a 4,000 year old civilization, so they must have accumulated a wealth of wisdom in that time period. Here is what Chinese astrologiers have to say about monkeys.

If you click on the picture, you will see a larger version, which will make it easier to read the text. However, when you are done, you must hit the Left Arrow button on the top left of your screen to be taken back to the Monkey Prose site. Otherwise, if you hit the red (Close) X button on the top right of your screen, then you will lose your connection to Monkey Prose.

I don't know how to fix this. Any suggestions?

Court Battle Over "Primarily Primates Inc." in Texas

A court battle has been ragining in Texas over Primarily Primates Inc., a sanctuary for primates.

One side says that the animals there were being neglected and abused. The other side says that this is not true.

I leave it up to you, dear readers, to make up your own mind. Some sources for information are:

The Chicago Tribune. - "Refuge Became Prison"

PETA - "Hell on Earth for Animals"

Primarily Primates Inc. Press Page

Friends of Animals Commentary

Animal Liberation Front Commentary

Wikipedia Entry on Primarily Primates Inc.

San Antonio Express News Article on Primarily Primates

The latest news is a story in the Chicago Tribune, entitled Texas expected to end legal moves against animal sanctuary

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot is the person responsible for this decision. If you wish to express your feelings about this matter to him, he can be reached at: Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Jeremy Bentham once said about animals: "The question is not, "Can they reason?" nor, "Can they talk?" but rather, "Can they suffer?"

Chimps Lead Evolutionary Race

Nature Published online: 16 April 2007; doi:10.1038/446841a

Chimps Lead Evolutionary Race

More chimpanzee genes have been positively selected for than human ones.

Story by Michael Hopkin

Humans are generally believed to be more highly 'evolved' than our chimpanzee cousins. But in at least one sense that isn't true, say geneticists who have hunted for the hallmarks of natural selection in our respective genomes - and found more of them in chimps.

The discovery suggests that, since our evolutionary paths diverged 6 million years ago, greater numbers of chimpanzee genes have been shaped by 'positive selection', in which natural selection favours beneficial mutations.

Researchers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, combed through 14,000 matching genes from the human and chimpanzee genomes. As they report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week, 233 chimp genes showed signs of having been shaped by positive selection (M. A. Bakewell, P. Shi and J. Zhang Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.0701705104; 2007). The corresponding figure for our own genes was just 154.

The result overturns the view that, to promote humans to our current position as the dominant animal on the planet, we must have encountered considerable positive selection, says lead author Jianzhi Zhang. "We think we're very different from animals, with our large brain size and speech," he says.

The gene discrepancy might be due to the fact that, for much of our histories, chimpanzees had the larger population size. Humans, with a smaller and more fragmented population, may have been shaped by random, erratic changes.

It is possible that the genetic changes underlying brain size are very few. It is difficult to put together a coherent picture, says Zhang, because it is hard to know which genes would have been crucial in shaping traits such as our large brain size. "It is possible that the genetic changes underlying brain size are very few," he says.

A sample of 14,000 genes does not tell the whole story. The team could not compare the entire genome as the chimp sequence has not been completed to the same level of detail as the human one. But for genes with good sequences, they were taken to show signs of positive selection if they had a high proportion of 'non-synonymous mutations' — DNA changes that alter the protein sequence produced by the gene — which could be a 'lever' for natural selection.

Zhang admits it is difficult to spot genes that have been the subject of more recent positive selection. Such genes could have been responding to selection pressures — such as changes in climate and food source — encountered by humans as they began to move out of Africa and across the planet over the past 100,000 years.

There also seems to be little pattern to the functions of the selected genes, says Zhang. Among those favoured in chimps are genes for protein metabolism and stress responses, whereas the human genes are involved in processes such as fatty-acid metabolism.

Victoria Horner, who works with chimpanzees at Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta, Georgia, says: "We assume that chimpanzees have changed less than us, when that's actually not the case."

Monkey Bob Battles "The Crammers"

I recently became aware of a telephone billing scam called "cramming". The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) defines this practice as follows:

“Cramming” is the practice of placing unauthorized, misleading, or deceptive charges on your telephone bill. Crammers rely on confusing telephone bills in an attempt to trick consumers into paying for services they did not authorize or receive, or that cost more than the consumer was led to believe."

Cramming charges are usually under $50.00, and are usually located somewhere near the end of the (multi-page) phone bill, so many consumers may not even notice them

Twice in the last year, I have (allegedly) been crammed. The last company involved was:

YP Corp. - which is associated with YP.Net, YP.Com, and Yellow-Page.net. (The last three company names bring up the same website.) Their stock ticker is YPNT. They recently added a $27.50 charge onto my last home phone bill for something called "web maintain". I never requested this service, nor authorized them to charge me for it.

In investigating this matter, I discovered some disturbing reports about the YP group of companies:

1) In December of 2006, YP.Corp agreed to pay $2 million in refunds after settling in court with the Attorneys General of 34 states. In a 12-14-06 statement from The Office of the Attorney General of Missouri - Attorney General Jay Nixon said that "The businesses and organizations often did not realize that depositing an “activation” check for $3.25 from YP Corp. — which does business under the names YP.com, YP.net and Yellow-Page.net — triggered a monthly charge of $25 to $30 on their telephone bills or from their bank accounts for an Internet directory listing."

Many of the victims of this tactic were churches, schools, and non-profit organizations. These were good candidates for cramming because they receive many checks, which are often processed by volunteers. These volunteers usually don't scrutinize received checks for any legal fine print.

2) According to an April 2, 2003 article in The Jacksonville Business Journal, a Federal jury convicted Michael Bloomquist of fraud conspiracy. According to Citron Research, Michael Bloomquist was a director of Telco Billing, a wholly owned subsidiary of YP.Net.

3) According to an SEC Report filed on 6-1-04, "YP Corp. ("YP") announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Angelo Tullo had resigned as an executive officer and director of the Company as a result of indictments handed down against him by a Federal Grand Jury for matters unrelated to YP Corp." Citron Research said that these Federal indictments were for Fraud and Money Laundering.

4) According to a US Department of Justice document dated June 27, 1996, Douglas Carpa was one of 6 defendants convicted on 72 counts of tax evasion, mail fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and related charges. According to YPNT SEC filings, Douglas Carpa controlled Gladstone Enterprises. According to Citron Research - Gladstone Enterprises was associated with Hickory Management, which was associated with Sunbelt Financial. And Sunbelt financial was paying Angelo Tullo's salary (see the paragraph above).

Other companies that you should be aware of are:

Axcess Internet Solutions

Email Discount Network – also known as EDN. Note: The Florida Office of the Attorney General recently reached a settlement with this company, where they will repay over $1 million for improper telephone charges. Residents from a number of states are eligible.

ILD Teleservices – also known as ILD Telecommunications Inc.

Northwest Nevada Telco - also known as NWNT

OAN – also known as Operator Assistance Network and OAN Services Inc. They are associated with Nationwide Connections.

Talk America Inc. – also known as Talk.com

Here is how you can protect yourself:

1) Take a closer look at your phone bills before you pay them. With Verizon phone bills, charges from crammers are usually listed on the back 1 or 2 pages of your telephone bill. If you see something that doesn't look right, call your phone company's business office.

2) Don't waste your time calling these crammers. The best way to contact them is by Certified Mail, with a Return Receipt. Just write a simple letter that explains that you did not authorize the charge and that you expect it to be removed in a timely manner. This method carries much more weight, because there is now a paper trail of your complaint, which could later be given to the authorities if the offending company doesn't solve the problem. A certified letter to the crammer may also protect your credit, if the crammer sends (or threatens to send) their charge to a collection agency.

3) You can file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, but they are unlikely to take any immediate action to help you. They will record your complaint - among the thousands of others that they receive – but action from such agencies moves forward at a glacial pace.

4) File a complaint with the Division of Consumer Affairs in the state where you reside, and also in the state where the crammer is located. Most state Divisions of Consumer Affairs have websites, where you can file a complaint online. I don't know if this is effective yet, but it's worth a shot.

5) Ask your phone company to put a cramming block onto your phone line. This should protect you against most future cramming attempts.

6) File a complaint with the U.S. Postal Service for mail fraud. Your phone bill came to you through the mail, so these crammers are using the U.S. Mail to improperly get money from people. I don't know (yet) how effective this might be, but it may very well turn out to be a strong tool for prosecuting crammers.

7) Send a Certified Letter or an Overnight Express Letter to the CEO of your phone company. You should easily be able to find the name and mailing address of this person on Google. CEOs have "the juice" to get problems resolved quickly. Every time that I have sent a Certified Letter to Ivan Seidenberg, the CEO of Verizon, Verizon has resolved the problem promptly and professionally. In this last incident, Salvatore Tedesco and Sal Tromonda, of Verizon, provided exceptional support. I give Verizon, kudos for their excellent service!

NOTE: In their response to my cramming complaint, Verizon indicated that they cannot prevent crammers from putting charges onto a Verizon phone bill because of The Telecommunications Act of 1996. This act was designed to centralize billing for multiple telephone service providers. However, an unintended consequence of this legislation is that it allows unscrupulous companies to bill phone company customers for charges that they did not authorize.

8) If you have a blog, or if you frequent the blogosphere, spread the word about this practice and the companies involved. The blogosphere is an incredibly powerful tool for affecting social change.

Note No. 1: I believe that truth in journalism is absolutely essential. I have carefully researched the information that I am presenting in this post, and to the best of my knowledge, it is accurate. Where I obtained information from other sources, I have provided links to these sources. All of the sources that I used appeared to be credible.

Note No. 2: Truth in journalism applies to all parties who are reported on. If anyone can present me with information that proves that (any of) the data in this post is inaccurate, then I will change the post, and issue a retraction.

Note No. 3: At the time that this post was written, YP.Corp has not been charged or convicted of cramming - in my situation - by any court of law. However the evidence that I have presented indicates that YP.Corp's charge (on my home phone bill) appears to be cramming.

Note No. 4: Every responsible journalist has an obligation to present both sides of a story. I therefore invite YP.Corp to submit a response to this post.

Court to Rule if Chimp Has Human Rights

It may become one of the most significant animal rights cases in history, rivaling even The Scopes Trial. A court in Austria is going to hear arguments about whether Hiasl, a 26 year old chimpanzee, deserves to be treated as a human. You can read about it in The Observer at Are Chimpanzees Human?.

Monkey Bob Has Another Great Meal in East Hampton!

The gods must be smiling upon me. Never before have I struck gastronomical gold twice in the same week. Last night I had an unsurpassed meal at The 1770 House in East Hampton, NY. Tonight I dined, with family, at cittanuova, (also in East Hampton) and again the meal was superb! By the way, both restaurants are owned by the same people.

The cittanuova experience is very different from the 1770 House. While the latter provides a more formal dining environment, Cittanuova presents trattoria style dining. But that's OK too, as long as the food is good. And it was!

Zulfia, who is new to cittanuova, provided us with first class service, and was also very helpful with our wine selection. Because I am not familiar with Italian wines, I relied on Zulfia to select a full bodied red for us. She chose a Dolcetto di Dogliani, 2004, which was delightful. My first perception of this wine was of grape juice, but as it lingered on my tongue, the flavor morphed into a melange of dry and fruity sensations that were most pleasant. Cittanuova's menu describes it as "wild fruit, with a note of spice and minerality - long finish", which I think was "right on the money".

Cittanuova serves their wine in cylindrical glasses, which resemble juice cups. No Reidel at this restaurant. But this was OK, because that's the way that people drink wine in Italian trattorias. Most of the time, Italians drink table wine, which is usually served in carafes. They only bring out the bottled wine (and traditional wine crystal) at high end restaurants. I was therefore able to enjoy my wine because I understood that its presentation reflected an authentic Italian custom.

For my main course I chose the Filetti di Passera, which was described as "pan fried local fluke, brown butter, caper berries, lemon and parsley". The fish was cooked to perfection, and the outer shell of carmelized ingredients provided an excellent culinary counterpoint to the fluke's natural flavor.

I skipped dessert, because I am now at the last notch on my belt, and I don't want to cross that threshold into the next larger pants size. However, I did have a decaf cappuccino, which was most satifying, and which provided a perfect punctuation to the meal.

Both The 1770 House and cittanuova have excellent websites that appear to have been designed by the same company. They both have a polished appearance, with some wonderful photographs, which make these restaurants look very appealing.

Monkey Prose Rating: I give Cittanuova 4 bananas. If you like informal trattoria style restaurants (and good food), then you will definitely enjoy Cittanuova. I hope that Zulfia sticks around to provide her excellent service to this summer's diners. I definitely plan to be one of them!

Monkey Bob has an Exceptional Meal in East Hampton!

One of my favorite quotes is from The Buddha:

"Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care."

Tonight I had a chanced to treat my body with TLC when I had dinner, with family, at The 1770 House in East Hampton, NY. To say that dinner was exceptional would be an understatement.

My criteria for a fine restaurant are:

• Interesting and unique recipes
• An intriguing (but not intimidating) wine list
• Knowledgable and supportive staff

The 1770 House far surpassed my criteria. Andre, who served our meal, was there when we needed him and wasn't when we didn't - an important tip to "would be" waiters and waitresses who think that "hovering" is a virtue. Message from The Mother Ship - it isn't.

Andre expressed a passion for the food that was impossible not to share. The presentation was flawless, and his devotion to our dining experience made the food taste even better. He brought out each dish as if it were made of precious metal.

We "lucked out" by dining at one East Hampton's most popular restaurants in the off season. In July, there could be a long wait for a reservation. But in April, we were able to get an early seating with few other diners to distract us. In addition, The 1770 House is currently offering a Prix Fixe (3 course) Menu - for $30.00 per person, which is an exceptional bargain.

For an appetizer, I had a salad consisting of Mache, endive and Maytag blue cheese, accompanied by Cavaillon melon, bacon, candied walnuts, and sherry vinaigrette. The flavors accented each other perfectly, without any one ingredient overpowering the others.

A delicious olive bread was also served, along with a well seasoned extra virgin olive oil. This provided a nice accent to the appetizers.

My choice for a main course was roasted organic miso glazed salmon, with Soba noodles, cucumber, radishes, red onions, and "Tosa-Zu". The combination of the perfectly cooked salmon with the crisp outer shell of accent elements created a hard/soft taste experience that was new and captivating.

Capable assistance was also offered with the impressive wine list, which included some Premier Cru labels. While First Growth Bordeaux is still "just a little" out of Monkey Bob's financial reach, the wines that we did have were full bodied, with a complex blend of flavors, and nice finishes. Trudi, my wife, had the 2003 Powers Cabernet Savignon (Washington State) while I sampled the 2005 Pillar Box Red Henry's Drive Shiraz/Cab from Australia. These were new wines for both of us, and neither one of us was disappointed.

One mark of a fine restaurant is their choice of glassware. There was no commercial stemware on our table. Our wine was served in Riedel crystal, which impressed me, and added an extra level of enjoyment to our beverages.

For dessert, I selected an apple crisp with caramel ice cream, which was delicious. But I must confess that I couldn't eat much of it because I was so full from the first two courses.

If you live near (or on) Long Island, and you want an unsurpassed dining experience, then I highly recommend The 1770 House. Now would be an good time to go, to take advantage of the excellent Prix Fixe deal!

Monkey Prose Rating: I give The 1770 House 5 bananas (my highest rating). The food, service, and wine were all first class.

NOTE: Neither Monkey Bob, nor any of my primate friends, were compensated by The 1770 House for this review. I just really liked the food and the dining experience!

Monkey Movie Review - "The Last Mimzy"

"The Last Mimzy" is the story of a young brother and sister who discover a box of toys that turns out to be a communication device from the future. This gives them extraordinary powers. The story then develops around how their new abilities affect their parents, their teachers, and the US Government.

The movie presents excellent performances by newcomers Chris O'Neil as Noah Wilder (the brother) and Rhiannon Leigh Wynn as Emma Wilder (the sister). This is the first movie for Chris and the second for Rhiannon. She also played Betty Ross (as a child) in the 2003 flick - Hulk.

My granddaughter's name is also Rhiannon, so that automatically put this young actress near the top of my Christmas Card list.

Powerful roles are presented by Timothy Hutton as David Wilder (the father) and Joely Richardson as Jo Wilder (the mother). They convincingly portray parents who become increasingly confused, fearful, and concerned as these peculiar playthings transform their little boy and girl into wunderkinder. Michael Clarke Duncan also makes a strong contribution to the story as Nathanial Broadman, the Dept. of Homeland Security officer who is assigned to determine if the electrical blackout (caused by the children) is an act of terrorism. You may remember him as the condemned prisoner John Coffey in "The Green Mile".

The special effects are impressive, and accent the story without overwhelming the plot. I particularly like the triangle matrix scenes, which are hypnotic.

"The Last Mimzy" is based on a 1943 short story "Mimzy Were the Borogroves" by Lewis Padgett. Lewis Padgett was the joint pseudonym for science fiction authors (and spouses) Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore. "MWTB" is a well known story among SF devotees.

Robert Shaye directed this film - with a concentration on closeups of Noah's and Emma's faces as they are transformed by their discovery. The "time travel" toys are designed so that they can only be used by young children. Noah's and Emma's innocence and lack of a hardened world view allow them to more easily accept the extraordinary properties of these devices. The director creates a family dynamic which pits the "down to earth" viewpoint of the parents against the magical perceptions of the children. This results in a dramatic tension, which makes the story more compelling.

Shaye has a strong background in sci fi movies. He was a producer for a number of "Lord of the Rings" movies, as well as "Frequency" (2000), and a few "Nightmare on Elm Street" flicks.

Primate Perspective: I think that this movie will appeal to Capuchin monkeys. They only come down to the ground to drink, so ethereal stories appeal to them. They also have a long maturation period (4 to 8 years, depending on the sex) so stories that involve children are perennial favorites.

Summary: I give this movie 3 bananas. Chris O'Neill's and Rhiannon Leigh Wynn's vigorous performances are interesting and believable. Also, Robert Shaye's focused directing and the excellent special effects combine with the childrens' portrayals to make "The Last Mimzy" an exciting and enjoyable viewing experience.