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My good friend Peter has just gotten off his arse and done his blog up all nice and proper, with content and all. Of course it took me ages to get the server sorted out, install the blog engine, and theme and some photos, but who’s counting? I humbly recommend reading him if you’re interested in SA, my opinion is that in 10 years he’ll be better known, but don’t wan to put any pressure on him… 
_ About
Peter Nixon is a professional accountant who grew a conscience and has now dedicated his life to changing the world for the better. He was born in South Africa in 1976 and lived in England from 1988 to 1991 before returning to South Africa. Initially he studied to become an accountant, registering as a Chartered Accountant in 2003. However this did not fill him with a sense of purpose and fulfilment and he went back to study, completing an honours degree in International Relations in 2006. Africa is where his heart lies and he wants more than anything to see Africa succeed in the world.
In the guise of the Mercenary Chef he mercilessly invades kitchens in order to cook dinner, see his friends, meet new people and discuss weighty topics.
Anything he says on this website is his own partially informed opinion and you rely on what he says at your own peril. He also accepts no responsibility for plagiarism or stolen ideas - credit will be given where possible, but he reads a lot of stuff and it is difficult to keep track of everything. This is just what he is currently thinking about, and what he thinks about and believes is subject to change without notice.
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If you’re interested in population ecology or population dynamics or just sustainability, then you might find this interesting…
_ Population size of the Earth now vs population size over history
If you add up the total number of humans who have ever lived and compare that total to the number of people walking around on the planet today, you’ll find that there are more people alive now than the sum total of all humans who have ever lived in the entire history of humanity.
If you’re just a geek, you’re probably going to mention this at some stage anyways
Seriously though, this is not a nice or encouraging graph to look at (which are these days?), and totally makes you wonder how the hell we’re going to support such a large human population in years to come…. ;-(
Thanks to Jeff for pointing me to this.
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Was chatting to Tim recently and he brought this up, looks pretty interesting… Not sure what to make of it, but I sure as hell don’t doubt there are still things we haven’t discovered yet, especially in a place like the Congo or the Amazon… Wonder what we’ll be saying about this in a few years?
_ Bili Ape - Wikipedia
Bili Ape, also Bondo Mystery Ape, is the name given to a large primate that is said to inhabit Bili Forest in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
_ Mail on Sunday article
Some locals say they are eight feet tall and weigh 20 stone. Others claim they are even bigger, equipped with huge flesh-ripping teeth and muscles capable of dismembering a man.
Forest dwellers have told visiting explorers and scientists of a ferocious grey ape, with the cunning of a chimpanzee and the power and size of a gorilla - and a taste for meat rather than the shrubbery loved by most apes.
_ The not so silly Bili Ape
The Dark Continent may yet harbour secrets long after its opening up by Western explorers. Karl Shuker examines the evidence for an unknown species of great ape reported in the jungles of the Congo.
Hat tip to Tim Shultz
