Last week, one of these tribes, the Bo tribe became extinct with the death of its last member, Boa Sr, age 85. She was the last living speaker of the tribe’s language, also called Bo, as well. The language was considered one of India’s most endangered languages.

As the last speaker, Boa Sr had lived out her last days without anyone to speak it with; her husband and children had already died years before her death. The woman was also the last tribe member to recall the tribe’s traditional songs, as well as the eldest member of all ten tribes.

Boa Sr, a survivor of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, died at a hospital in the Andaman islands.

According to Survival International, “The Bo are thought to have lived in the Andaman islands for as long as 65,000 years, making them the descendants of one of the oldest human cultures on earth.”

With Boa Sr’s passing, an estimated 52 Great Andamanese people remain living today. In 1858, prior to the British colonization of the islands, 5,000 of the people inhabited the islands. During this time, tribes were held captive in the “Andaman Home,” in which 150 children, none of which survived for more than two years, were born.

Of the tribes who remain, at least five are considered vulnerable to extinction. One group, the Sentinelese, is likely the world’s only surviving Paleolithic tribe. They have no contact with people outside their small island, never leave it, and are considered very hostile toward non-native people.

Some risk factors for these groups include alcohol abuse and dependence on the government for food and shelter.

Wii-lovers have found a new game associated with the program: injury. From doctors to children, many have inflicted injury upon themselves by playing the physical video game.

 Ailments like “Wii Shoulder” and “Wii Knee” have cropped-up, falling under the umbrella of the new nerve – disorder “Nintendinitis.”

 Programs like Wii Fit are great in that they get gamers off their couches and actively involved with the game. The new concept took hold; as The New York Times article “More Wii Warriors Are Playing Hurt” reported Wii sold more than 10 million of the game systems in the United States in 2008, including a record 2.1 million in December. The complementary Wii Fit exercise program has been nearly as popular, with more than 6.5 million sold since its introduction last May.

 Upon interviewing several orthopedists and sports medicine practitioners, the article citied rising numbers of injuries resulting from the game. Symptoms of strains and swelling have been reported from use and overuse of Wii.

Studies show that those living in large cities have a higher high school dropout rate versus those living and attending schools in more suburban and rural areas.

The gap, however, has widened drastically over the last few years between dropout rates in cities and suburbs. According to a study coordinated by America’s Promise Alliance, listing the average high school graduation rate in the nation’s 50 largest cities was 53 percent, compared with 71 percent in the suburbs.

The cause for the high urban dropout rates? Many city schools have a lack of funding and are failing in all respects. In areas, the gap is even more distinguishable. Cleveland, Baltimore, and New York were all cities that have drastically higher rates of graduation in suburbs versus the city.

“Sometimes [stereotypes] suggest that America has become selfish and crass, or that we don’t care about the world beyond us. And I’m here to tell you that that’s not the country that I know and it’s not the country that I love.”  

Even with the president’s good word, Americans have a lot to do to overcome this overseas stereotype. Travel experts Chris Baker and Beth Whitman give 5 handy tips for traveling abroad in the CNN article: 

• 1) Research the area and its culture before you travel to your destination. Read guidebooks to learn about the region. 
• 2) Learn some basic words in the language of the region you are traveling to. Don’t expect everyone to speak English.
• 3) Travel with a desire to experience the local cuisine. Don’t expect to get a hamburger. 
• 4) Don’t flash around money or expensive items like cell phones and cameras. 
• 5) Try to really experience the culture. You are less likely to offend if you understand.

Ahh, nature’s Easter egg hunt. Every spring, thousands of morel hunters across the nation scavenge their local woods for these honeycomb-like mushrooms.

Much loved by gourmet chefs, especially those specializing in French cuisine, these mushrooms are an exquisite treat for any dish.  

Fortunately, their decadent taste  can be found for free – maybe even in your back yard. Morels often grow two to three years following areas hit by forest fires. Climates that are wet and cool and receive recent rainfall harvest excellent growing conditions for the fungi. Rotting or decaying roots make a great home for the mushroom as well.  

Take the following recipe for Morel Sauce, provided by Wild-Harvest. Morel sauce can be used as a topping for your favorite beef or chicken dish. 

Morel Sauce: 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar plus additional to taste
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 24 fresh morels (about 1 pound),cleaned and trimmed (or 1 ounce dried morels, soaked, reserving 1/2 cup soaking liquid) 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 2 cups dry red wine
• 2 cups chicken stock fresh lemon juice to taste

In a small heavy saucepan boil water with sugar, without stirring, until a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and carefully add red-wine vinegar and 1 tbl. balsamic vinegar down side of pan. Stir mixture over moderate heat until caramel is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat.

In a heavy saucepan cook morels in butter, stirring, over moderate heat until liquid from morels is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer morels with a slotted spoon to a bowl and reserve. Add shallots to pan and cook, stirring, until golden. Stir in wine and boil until reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 minutes.

Add stock and reserved morel soaking liquid (if using dried morels) and reduce to about 1 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in caramel mixture. Add morels to sauce with salt and pepper to taste. If desired stir in additional Balsamic Vinegar, 1 teaspoon at a time, and lemon juice.

Twitter is the online Mecca for “Did I need to know that?” information about your cyber-neighbors. Everything from what people ate for breakfast to daily conversations are recorded on the social site, making a seemingly colossal stew of useless information.

Not so for product manufacturers. According to The New York Times article “Putting Twitter’s World to Use,” companies like Dell, Whole Foods, and Starbucks use Twitter to research what customers think about their products.

Twitter can even be used to make a social statement. Protestors in Moldova used Twitter in April 2009 to rally fellow protestors. Outsiders of the country looked-on via Twitter to understand the conflict arising.

As Twitter grows, it faces the problem of receiving proper compensation for its services. It is considering developing a plan for charging companies like Starbucks for information regarding its customers and its products. 

However, the music has been catching-on in unlikely regions. No, it’s not spreading throughout the US; rather, bluegrass has become increasingly popular in Europe. 

Areas like  Scotland, the Czech Republic, Norway have grown so fond of the music that the countries have incorporated bluegrass music programs into some of the public schools. Bluegrass festivals have been established in Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, France and England.

An automated tag on the dog’s collar charges the owner’s credit card upon entry into the facility, and owners can sip lattes worry-free as they surf the net on Unleashed’s Wifi while trained dog handlers watch the pups and break-up fights. 

In a nation plagued with unemployment, deficits, and bailouts, why are dogs getting the long end of the stick? Why is there a push for owners to spend sizable amounts of their disposable income on man’s best friend? 

Mega dog food company Alpo has noticed the excessive pampering going-on in the K9 world, and coined an advertising slogan “Quick, get that dog some Alpo!” to address the frou-frou world of doggie sweaters, rhinestone collars, and silk pillows debutantes like Paris Hilton have made ever-so-available. 

Dogs should be dogs. That’s right – smelly at times, boisterous when excited, drooling at the smell of bacon. Whatever happened to putting Fido on a leash and taking him for a walk in the morning? Why are mega-conglomerate dog parks, which charge you for the open space that Mother Nature so amply doles out for free, becoming popular enough to be franchised-out in a recession? 

Grab your leash, clip it to Sparky, and hit the trail. No Visa automated tag necessary. Save some money, support the economy elsewhere.

You’re finally going on your dream safari to Serengeti Park but you haven’t thought about safari clothing. Wearing the right attire will not only keep you more comfortable but it will help protect you from very real health hazards. 

Tip # 1

Don’t wear strong or dark colors.  Light colors are best, except whites because they stain too easy.   

The African sun is strong! Both blacks and bold colors will suck up heat rays and keep you sweating.  Light-toned, loose-fitting clothing, on the other hand, will reflect the suns rays, protecting you from the sweltering heat.  Bold colors aren’t the best choice either. Because they stand out so much, they tend to make wildlife wary.

Tip # 2

Wear long-sleeved clothing.  Full-length sleeves that fasten tightly are definitely the way to go.  This will protect your skin not only from the hot sun but, as evening approaches, from blood-thirsty mosquitoes.  Some mosquitoes carry blood-borne diseases, so covering up is always a good idea.  

Tip # 3

Opt for breathable cottons over synthetic materials.  

Tip # 4

Wear a hat!  It sounds simple enough but sunstroke is far more common than one would expect.  The same rules should apply to your headwear that apply to the rest of your clothing – go with a light-colored hat made of materials that breathe.  It’s also important to get a hat with a wide brim so as to provide the maximum amount of protection.